The Ekimogun Roundtable, a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting good governance in Ondo State, has expressed intentions to challenge what it considers to be misleading information regarding public and constituency projects in the Ondo community. This is in response to a public announcement by Hon. Abiola Makinde, the representative of Ondo East/West federal constituency, in which he declared his collaborative involvement with the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NIBBRI) in a groundbreaking ceremony for a motor park project scheduled for August 24, 2024, in Ondo City.
In a statement released to the media on Wednesday by its acting secretary, Ms. Christiana Ayodele, the group asserted that there are clear distinctions between government-fully funded projects and private or joint venture projects. They claimed that in the case of the Ondo City Motorpark Project, the Federal Government holds 100 percent equity as the sole financial contributor to the project.
“They stated that Hon. Makinde is a current lawmaker who is paid by the federal government. Therefore, any legislative actions he takes are part of his duties as a lawmaker. Claiming a joint or partnership stake in a project fully funded by the federal government is considered illegal and politically motivated, and it will not be left unchallenged.”
“Before announcing a partnership stake, the parties involved must come with agreed-upon equity contributions. We are more interested in the procurement details, including the source of funds, cost implications, scope of work, bill of quantity, and other contract details, rather than an imaginary stake announced by Hon Makinde,” Ms. Christiana said.
The Roundtable emphasized that politicians should refrain from showing favouritism to the people. Hon. Makinde should be reminded that legislators are not authorized to take on executive functions that involve project sponsorship or procurement activities. This would amount to spreading misinformation.
“The only entity recognized in the entire procurement process under the country’s Public Procurement Act, as far as this Motorpark project is concerned, is NIBBRI. Any other partnership arrangement with any person would be considered a procurement infraction,” the group emphasized.
The Ekimogun Roundtable, however, commended NIBBRI for citing the project in Ondo City. They assured that the people of Ondo are accommodating and will continue to support NIBBRI’s developmental efforts in the city.
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