EX-FEDERAL LAWMAKER ALLEGES SOUTH-WEST GOVERNORS OF CAUSING SETBACK FOR LAGOS-IBADAN EXPRESSWAY CONSTRUCTION
A former Federal Lawmaker at the 7th National Assembly, Senator Gbenga Obadara has narrated how the proposed construction of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was stalled,due to what he attributed to non-challance of the South-West Governors.
Obadara who was a former Chairman on Privatization and Commercialization at the upper chambers made this known in his submission during a discussions on the issue on a social media network,penpushing platform.
The participants on the platform had engaged in discussions following the issue raised by the Minister of Power,Works and Housing,Babatunde Fashola after he threw a bombshell on what transpired on the reduction in the budget for the road.
The ex-federal lawmaker who represented Ogun State at the national assembly pointed out that,the genesis of the failed road construction could be linked and traced to the ego and pride of the then governors of the South-West.
Obadara who is also an active member of the penpushing platform said,he was an insider towards the happenings about the road when he was a serving Senator,hence,he has detailed information while the project went sour,and failed to see the light of the day.
His words ‘Good morning my good people. I have read many reactions on this platform since Minister of Power, Works and Housing gave the bombshell of what transpired on the reduction in the budget for Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. I think I owe this forum the need to know past efforts to avoid this ugly situation’.
‘ I know very well the Minister’s frustration based on things of the past. Very unfortunate it got to this! When I was the Senate Chairman on Privatisation and Commercialization and the Senator representing 87% stretch of the road and in possession of all the agreements signed both official and unofficial I called the Chairman of Bicourtney who has been a friend of mine for years to know the problems of not working on the road’,he recalled.
Obadara said,ironically, nothing came out from the discussion and he took it upon himself to discuss with his state governor,Senator Ibikunle Amosun and his other colleague South-West Governors on the way the project could become a reality.
‘ Unfortunately nothing to hold on came out of it. I took it upon myself to discuss it with my Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun on the way we can get round it and immediately he instructed the then Deputy Chief of Staff to meet with me and come up with a letter on it. In the same vein I visited Oyo State Governor and discussed this with him and totally saw wisdom in it’,he stated.
Obadara added,’All these were based on my insider knowledge of what were happening at the Senate and Presidency due to my position. My advice was for the six Governors of South West States to write to President Goodluck Jonathan that they are ready to construct the road and seek for refund, copy the Senate President, Senator Femi Lanlehin of Oyo State who was then representing the remaining 13% of the stretch of the road and myself’ .
‘ I can confirm to you that Alhaji Salihu Omoyayi wrote the letter and went round the all these Governors to sign and under instruction refused to send a copy to me and Senator Femi Lanlehin who are supposed to use our clout in Senate to vigorously push for it in the same way Senator Ike Ekeremadu, was able to attract billions of naira to the South East through Senator Maccido as the Chairman of Appropriation and Senator Ugboji as the Vice Chairman then’,he explained.
‘Luckily Senator Ugboji is still in Senate. The problem we have always on all these issues is ego and pride of these Governors not to recognise the importance of their Senators or see them as threats which should not be’,Obadara pointed out.
‘When President Goodluck Jonathan got the letter he quickly called Minister of Works, Arc. Mike Onolememe to do something to it, that was when they came to deceive the whole South West with the flag off that never yielded anything. They so planned it to coincide with the day ACN was having affirmation Congress at Onikan Stadium in Lagos to merge with other parties to become APC’.
‘ Myself and Senator Femi Lanlehin became handicapped to push for it as Committee demanded for a letter from us, sadly we lost the opportunity because of the ego and pride of providing us the letter of affirmation that our six Governors were ready to do it and claim refund thinking that we will claim the glory of it’.
‘ From experience, my take is the desire of the collective responsibility of our South West Governors to collectively come together and interface with the Senators and House of Representatives members from South West who will meet with their colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives to push through the amount needed in the budget to finish the project’.
‘ In any Assembly all over the world lobbying is the game and if this can be done I see a positive response. But don’t forget other Senators and House of Representatives from the remaining five geo-political regions are not seeing it as a MUST DO project as all of them have their priority projects in their domains’.
‘ Without being immodest as the only Chairman of Senate Committee from ACN in the 7th Assembly lots happened that our Governors supposed to have done better but not seeing their Senators as anything while other geo-political regions were being used effectively. We need a change in attitude. As more revelations are coming, you will be reading from me. Thank you all’,Obadara emphasised.
