THE administration of former Oyo State governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala spent over N24 billion on road contracts in the year 2010 alone, without regard for quality and maintenance, it has been alleged.
The allegation, among others, was contained in a report delivered at the Council Chambers of the Governor's Office on Thursday by Dr. Busari Adebisi, Chairman of the 30-man transition committee inaugurated by Senator Abiola Ajimobi while he was governor-elect, to facilitate easy handover of governance from the past administration.
According to Adebisi, a former Political Science teacher at the University of Ibadan, the resultant effect of this disregard for quality and maintenance was "that most of these roads are in various stages of disrepair."
He explained that in the course of his committee's activities, it discovered that the previous administration awarded contracts with impunity and engaged consultants without due process, citing the controversial award of the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital project.
He added that appointments and promotions were made within the higher echelon of the civil service without regard to vacancies or need, adding that there was no reliable data on the actual workforce in the state.
Adebisi also noted that healthcare delivery system in the state collapsed under the former government, "in spite of the huge resources of the state committed to the sector in the last six months."
He said that in pursuit of the mandate of the then governor-elect, his committee made efforts to request for information from the former government but its efforts "were impeded by lack of cooperation," stating that the committee nevertheless resolved to formulate policies and make recommendations "to facilitate a seamless transition."
He said that the committee had to rely on report of activities of various ministries, departments and agencies as at May, 2011, as well as information gathered at the interactive sessions with officials of the ministries, departments and agencies.
While receiving the report, Governor Ajimobi thanked the committee which he called "professional and intellectual" for its job, stating that from the presentation of its chairman which he called "erudite", he was sure that the report would be of high quality.
The Guardian