Federal Roads: ‎Boroffice replies Mimiko, insists Ondo Govt lied

Professor Ajayi Boroffice

Senator Ajayi Boroffice

Senator Ajayi Boroffice
Senator Ajayi Boroffice

The senator representing Ondo North senatorial district, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice has fired back at the Ondo State Government over its reaction to the controversial sum of N11bn allegedly spent by the state government on federal roads in the state.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Kayode Adeniyi, the senator said the reaction of the Mimiko-led administration to his honest observations raised more questions than answers.

“The Media Office of Distinguished Senator (Prof.) Ajayi Boroffice has noted the reaction of the Ondo State Government, through its Commissioner of Information, Kayode Akinmade, to the appeal made by Senator Boroffice to the Federal Government on the need to exercise circumspection on the issue of reimbursement of funds reportedly spent on federal roads to the Mimiko-led government. The twin-ground of appeal are: firstly, it was in view of the conflicting figures emanating from the governor and his appointees. Secondly, it was due to the fact that most of the federal roads, for which the Mimiko-led administration is seeking reimbursement, are presently death traps that require the urgent intervention of the federal government.

“Therefore, the underlisted points must be stated: That the reaction of the governmernment falls short of gubernatorial mien. It was an hogwash from a sloppy commissioner who glaringly failed in the cruel bid to muddle up issues with his expressed befuddlement and confusion. Obviously, he knows little or nothing about the government he speaks for.

“Meanwhile, the insinuation that Senator Boroffice is working against the interest of the state‎ is false and misleading. That was a poor shot at blackmailing the federal lawmaker for his honest observations. Why is the government seeking to wipe sympathies from the people like a forsaken-crying baby? A man who has been at the forefront of attracting the intervention of federal government to fix bad roads in Ondo State cannot be said to be working against the interest or hate the same state . He should also not be expected to keep mute when there is a coordinated plan to defraud the federal government.

“Obviously, it is a known fact that the N11bn claimed to have been expended on federal roads in Ondo State is an accumulated figure from past administrations. Of course, the Mimiko-led administration couldn’t have claimed it single-handedly spent N11bn on roads when roads are not built inside a dome – the official conduit pipe to siphon public resources. The emphasis of the government on an obvious fact is therefore a mere distraction. It doesn’t address the issue of conflicting figures.

‎”Putting the record straight, Senator Boroffice noted that on Tuesday, 10th of November 2015, Governor Mimiko claimed that the state government was owed N7bn on federal roads.

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Senator Boroffice also noted that on Thursday, 29th of January 2015, the state commissioner for Works, Gboye Adegbenro‎ said‎ that N11bn was spent on federal roads.

“Presently, Akimade has claimed part of the N11bn incurred by the state government had been paid three years ago with a N9bn balance yet to be paid. If this administration were to be a transparent one, should it take the observation of Senator Boroffice to bring it to public domain that it received N2bn in 2013? Indeed, if the state government was paid N2bn out of N11bn in 2013, why did a commissioner for works, Gboye Adegbenro, claimed the amount yet to be received by the state government was N11bn in 2015? Was the money received without the knowledge of the state commissioner? Was it received through the backdoor? Or did Adegbenro deliberately lie to the people on behalf of the government? Considering the fact that Akinmade has said #9bn is the balance yet to be paid, why did Governor Mimiko claim it was N7bn in November, 2015? Does it mean Governor Mimiko made an uninformed comment? Who should the people believe between Governor Mimiko and Akinmade? Who is in charge?

“Rather than reconcile figures, the commissioner has only confirmed that indeed, the figures brandished by the Governor and other officials of the government ‎are conflicting. ‎A competent government official would not seek to wave off issue of accountability and transparency by resorting to political innuendoes. That is being clever by half.

“As clearly analysed above, Akinmade needs to acquire basic rudiments of arithmetic as much as he needs fundamental knowledge of space technology.

“On a reiterating note, Senator Boroffice maintains the view that most of the affected roads are death traps and the people of Ondo State would prefer the federal government to fix them rather than pay such funds to an administration that detests accountability and transparency.

“‎Finally, given the established conflicting figures as admitted by officials of the Ondo State Government, the federal government should exercise caution on this issue. And the Hon. Rotimi Ameachi-led team should make its report and recommendations available to the public”, the statement read.

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