Workers’ Drive Road: UNESCO Denies Funding Project

• Govt Demands Apology

By Ismaeel Uthman

Contrary to the claims of the former Deputy governor of the state of Osun, Senator Iyiola Omisore, the United Nation Education Science Organisation (UNESCO) has denied committing any fund or fraction to the reconstruction of the just commissioned Workers’ Drive, Osogbo.

Omisore had last week claimed that UNESCO committed 70 per cent to the funding of the Workers Drive and added that the crisis-riddled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had role in the reconstruction of the former Ola Iya/Odi-Olowo/Ita-Olokan road, which links the road that leads to the Osun Groove road.

But UNESCO’s Communication Consultant (Regional Office), Mr Olusola Macaulay has dismissed Omisore’s claim, saying that the union was not currently funding any project in the state, and that the state government at no time approached the organisation to fund the Workers’ Drive.

“There was no time the Osun State government or its agencies approached UNESCO to support the project or contribute anything to it. We didn’t pay 70 per cent or any other fraction to the project, as being peddled”, Macaulay said.

Reacting to the UNESCO report, the state government demanded apology from Omisore, describing him as a serial liar.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa, in a press release on Wednesday said Omisore should apologise to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the government and the people of the state for lying that UNESCO contributed 70 per cent of the fund for the reconstruction of the road.

Baderinwa said “The UNESCO statement has confirmed the position of the government on the reconstruction of the road, and reinstated our claim that it was done 100 per cent from the Omoluabi Infrastructure Conservation Fund.

“Omisore should eat the humble pie and toe the responsible line with the UNESCO having officially punctured his blatant lies. He should be bold enough to apologise to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the state government and the people of the state. Taking this step will help in redeeming his battered and hogwash image in this particular issue.

The former deputy governor has demonstrated, by engaging in rumour peddling and spreading falsehood, gross incompetence and lack of understanding to run government.

“He has exposed his intellectual laziness to think or conduct simple research on how a renowned organisation like UNESCO runs its affair before embarking on his white lies.”

Baderinwa maintained that Omisore’s action calls for worry because he is a leading governorship aspirant of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has shown that the party lacked a requisite person to hold the exalted position of the governor of Osun.

“This apparent failure is indicative of the fact that Omisore is a failed aspirant whose rabid desire to rule pushes him to tell lies with a view to gaining relevance, even when that hurts and disorients the people” he said.

The Commissioner advised Omisore to update himself on how government and organisations run, saying his conduct so far has shown that he might have been impeached as a deputy governor because of his incompetence and misconduct.

He urged him to desist from deliberate efforts at misinforming the people of the state and face his charges with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), just as he urged the good people of the state to once again disregard the lies.