Osun

Adeleke Probes Ilesa Water Project, Orders Consultant To Forfeit N70m Bullet Proof Jeep

ByIsmaeel Uthman

PublishedDecember 8, 2023

GOVERNOR Ademola Adeleke has directed ‘a full scale probe’ of the six-year-old Ilesa Water Project, following the slow pace of work.

Adeleke has also suspended the Project Consultant, Mrs Tawa Williams, over alleged questionable handling of the $106m loan for the project.

The Governor, in a statement by his Spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, said there is no progress on the project despite reported disbursement of N10bn and another $28m on it.

Williams’s suspension, according to Adeleke, was to allow unhindered review of the loan administration, even as the consultant was directed to return to the N70m bullet proof jeep given to her on the project to the government.

OSUN DEFENDER learnt that the directive was sequel to the interim report of the State’s Assets Recovery Committee, Chaired by Dr Tokunbo Salami which recommended immediate suspension of the water project to stop further squandering of loans secured on it.

Adeleke, however, frowned at what he described as large scale of corruption reflection in the handling of the loans and project, noting that it is regrettable as it denied people of Ilesa and environs of drinkable water.

He said: “My administration will dig into this matter with all seriousness. The huge fund in question are loans to be repaid. We have a sacred duty to ensure accountability and transparency in the handling of the fund and the project.”

According to the interim report of the Salami-led committee, “the Islamic Development Bank agreed to fund the project to the tune of $65m while the Federal Government provided $41.94m.

“So far, a total of $27.073m has been expended from the IDB loan of $65 million, leaving a balance of the sum of $37.926m.

From the Federal Government loan of $41.94m which the consultant had reportedly converted to N12bn, the sum of N10bn had been purportedly spent on the project, leaving a balance of N2bn.”

The committee noted that despite the huge sums of $27.073m and N10bn already spent so far, the Ilesa water project is not yet functional and the good people of Ilesa are yet to access any water.

The recommendations of the committee which Governor Adeleke endorsed are include: “Suspension of the Consultant and the Project Coordinator with immediate effect; review of the process leading to the auctioning of the various water pipes across the state and the revenue which accrued therefrom.

Probing of the execution of the project with a view to ensuring that the state gets value for its money and that the loans are not diverted to private pockets; retrieval of the N70m bullet-proof project vehicle in possession of the Consultant.

“Reconciliation of financial exposure ($65 million and $41.94 million) on this project with other financial exposures of the state with a view to determining and/or ascertaining the total indebtedness of the state to both local and international creditors.”

The Ilesa water project was inaugurated in December 2017 by the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Ismaeel Uthman

Ismaeel Uthman is an Editor, Media Consultant with over 14 years experience in print journalism.

A consummate writer and reporter, Uthman has received accolades for his works, especially one that appeals for good governance and community development. He is a recipient of many laurels, including the Best Investigative Reporter (Print) Award of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State Council, in 2020.