PDP, Oyo trade words over N19bn refund

The Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has said the demand by the state government for a refund of N19bn allegedly spent on the rehabilitation of federal roads in the state by the immediate past administration of Adebayo Alao-Akala, is a justification of the prudence and accountability of the past government.

The party said this in a statement by the Director of Media and Strategy of the PDP in Oyo State, Mr. Morohunkola Thomas, made available to our correspondent in Ibadan on Thursday.

According to the statement, the execution of the federal road project is a pointer to the fact that the past administration was not a non-performing government as projected by the incumbent.

However, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communication, Festus Adedayo, described the claim by the PDP as an idle talk.

He said, “The attention of the Oyo State Government has been drawn to the idle talk of the PDP concerning an alleged application for refund of N19bn from the FG on road projects in the state.

“The government is composed of very busy personnel for whom their precious time is akin to gold and which they cannot waste on bandying words with a party that was sent out of office by the people of the state, just a couple of months ago, for gross incompetence and massive allegations of tampering with their collective patrimony.

Adedayo stated that the state government was committed to delivering on its promises to the people rather than exchanging words with “a group of people who were jobless before they dramatically got into office.”

The PDP statement read in part, “The Oyo State PDP has observed that the Action Congress of Nigeria government has demanded from the Federal Government the payment of N19bn being the sum of money Alao-Akala-led PDP government spent on the construction of federal roads in Oyo State.”

The party noted that the request for the money had finally vindicated Alao-Akala as a man who judiciously managed the state resources.

By Akinwale Aboluwade                         Courtesy Of: punch