Produce evidence of ‘paralysed’ LGs, Oyo govt challenges SSACO

…says project records contradict claim

By Adeola Badru

The Oyo State Government has challenged the
Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) to produce evidence backing its claim that Governor Seyi Makinde has “paralysed” the 33 local governments in the state, saying documented project records directly contradict the allegation.

The government, in a response by Kehinde Sangodoyin to the statement credited to SSACO, described the claim as misleading and said the narrative was based more on political rhetoric than verifiable facts on the ground.

According to the state government, before making sweeping allegations about the administration of the 33 Local Government Areas, SSACO ought to have examined the projects being executed and completed across the state.

It maintained that local governments in Oyo State had not been “paralysed”, pointing to documented interventions by Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas across virtually every part of the state.

The government said the projects covered road construction and rehabilitation, bridges and culverts, drainage, markets, electricity infrastructure, water supply, public buildings, schools, security infrastructure and other community facilities.

Among the documented projects, it said, were the 14.1km Eruwa–Lanlate–Maya Road in Ibarapa East; 15.75km Igbole Express Road to the Ibarapa Central boundary; 10km Omi-Adio Junction–Ido Junction Road in Ido Local Government; approximately 6km Akobo Ojurin–Olorunda Abaa Road in Lagelu; and 6.45km Olodo Garage–Kasumu/Ajia Junction Road in Egbeda.

Other projects listed by the government include the 3.5km Olorunsogo Express/Ariyo–Amuloko Road in Ona-Ara; 6km Idiko-Ile–Ayegun Road in Iwajowa; 3.1km Olive Estate Internal Roads in Ibadan North; 2.65km Abayomi Olagoke Akano–Raji Rasaki Road in Ibadan North East; 2.5km Alakia–Isebo/Iyana Church Road in Egbeda; 1.8km Dandaru–Agbadagbudu Road in Ibadan North; 1km Ikolaba/Omowale Kuye Estate Road in Ibadan North; 3.5km Ikolaba Main Road Network in Ibadan North; and 2km Bodija Main Market Road in Ibadan North.

The government also cited the Omi-Tuntun Ultra-Modern Market in Ido, Kajola Ultra-Modern Market in Ogbomoso South, reconstruction of Akesan Market in Oyo East, as well as Iseyin/LAUTECH campus roads and associated infrastructure.

It further listed 33KV electricity infrastructure and transformer projects in Iseyin and Itesiwaju, solar public lighting projects in parts of Ibadan North and other local government areas, as well as schools, culverts, drainage structures, markets and public buildings across several local governments.

The state government said its project records also showed projects completed in 2026, including the Ikolaba/Omowale Kuye Estate Road, Bodija Main Market Road, Ikolaba Main Road Network and the Oba Adeyemi-Mobolaje Road, among others.

“These are not the activities of ‘paralysed’ local governments,” the government said, stressing that the projects were tangible interventions with identifiable locations and beneficiaries.“

It argued that criticism of government was legitimate in a democratic society but insisted that criticism should not be used as a basis for disregarding verifiable facts.

The government consequently challenged SSACO to provide specifics if it maintained that local governments in the state had been paralysed.

It asked the association to identify which Local Government Areas were allegedly paralysed, which specific functions had allegedly ceased, and which projects had allegedly been abandoned as a result of the claimed paralysis.

It also asked SSACO to provide evidence supporting the allegation and explain how the claim could be reconciled with the numerous projects being executed and completed across the 33 Local Government Areas.

“Generalised political statements cannot substitute for evidence,” the government said.

According to the government, documented local government projects cut across both urban and rural communities, with interventions recorded in Ibadan, Ibarapa, Ogbomoso, Oyo, Iseyin, Saki, Ido, Egbeda, Lagelu, Ona-Ara, Atisbo, Iwajowa and other parts of the state.

It said roads had been rehabilitated and constructed, while culverts and bridges had been provided and markets developed and renovated.

It added that electricity infrastructure had been extended, public buildings and schools improved, while drainage infrastructure had been provided in areas affected by flooding.

The government, however, clarified that it was not claiming that every problem in every local government area had been resolved.

“The point is that the assertion that local governments have been ‘paralysed’ is inconsistent with the documented evidence of projects being undertaken and completed across the State,” it said.

It further maintained that SSACO was free to disagree with Governor Seyi Makinde and criticise policies of the Oyo State Government, describing such criticism as part of democratic discourse.

“But political criticism must be anchored in facts,” the government said.

It urged SSACO to identify specific shortcomings where it believed there were failures, provide evidence where it alleged failure and demonstrate the alleged paralysis where it claimed that local governments had been rendered ineffective.

“What cannot be accepted is the substitution of sweeping political rhetoric for facts that are readily verifiable on the ground,” the government said.

It added that residents across Oyo State could see the roads, bridges, markets, drainage facilities, electricity projects, public buildings and other infrastructure being delivered in their communities.

“The record speaks for itself,” the government said.

The state government stressed that while SSACO had the right to criticise Governor Makinde, it did not have the right to “manufacture facts”.

It, therefore, challenged the organisation to produce evidence to substantiate its allegation, insisting that the documented record of local government development across Oyo State contradicted the claim of paralysis.

“Your facts are wrong. Your narrative is defective. The record of local government development across Oyo State speaks for itself,” the government declared.

Ends

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