Ondo indigenes ask Governor Akeredolu to stop flagging off white elephant projects for photo opportunities

GOVERNOR Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has been asked by local residents to desist from his penchant for white elephant projects and focus on meaningful socio-economic facilities that will enhance the lives of the people.

Over the last year, Governor Akeredolu has been flagging of projects, particularly roads across the state but local people say they are all photo opportunities with little economic value. One member of staff at the state’s Local Government Service Commission, said, however, that the Akeredolu government believes more in the flag-off of projects than in executing them.

In February this year. Governor Akeredolu flagged off the dualisation of the Hospital/Ijoka Road in Akure, the state capital, as well as the Ore intersection flyover in Odigbo Local Government Area. However, residents and local property owners expressed their disappointment that contractors were yet to move to site despite government’s assurance when he launched these projects.

According to local staff, these projects tend to be more of a carnival-like procession as party members are mobilised from across the 18 government areas of the state to Akure, decked uniformed attires. They claim that once the photo opportunity has passed, very little is then heard of the projects again.

“What is currently happening in this state is so quite unfortunate. When he came on board, most of us who supported him had thought he would be better but with the situation of things at present, we can only pray to God.

“Tell me the kind of explanation to give on the proposed dualisation of Hospital-Ijoka Road dualisation project which was flagged-off over six months ago with pomp and pageantry. Do you know that during the flag-off, the whole of Akure was shut down. and I could recollect vividly how taxi operators bitterly complained about the shut down, it was as if they commissioned an already executed project," the Local Government Service Commission staff said.

In Odigbo Local Government Area of the state, the flyover at Ore intersection was also flagged off in February this year with residents of the area now fearful if the project would ever be embarked upon. One member of the driver’s union who simply gave his name as Akinkunmi maintained that when the governor came with his team to flag off the flyover, everyone was excited but that has now worn off as meaningful work was not visible on the road, which is highly prone to ghastly motor accidents almost on weekly basis.

However, one source in Governor Akeredolu’s office said that the plan was that by August, work will commence on the Hospital-Ijoka Road as the valuation of the affected buildings was still on-going. He added that the flyover project was still shaky as the present finances of the state government cannot fund such a project, coupled with the directive of the federal government that no state would be reimbursed anytime soon if they embark on any federal road upgrade.