…Group cites documented infrastructure projects, says ongoing council projects are expected to be commissioned before tenure ends; urges Oyelese to prevail on FG to rehabilitate deteriorating federal highways.
The Oyo State Elite Group has faulted former Minister of Power and Co-Chairman of the Oyo State Elders Council, Elder Wole Oyelese, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State over their criticisms of Governor Seyi Makinde’s handling of local government affairs, urging them to consider verifiable infrastructure projects across the state.
The group also challenged Oyelese, whom it described as a respected elder statesman, to direct his energy towards prevailing on the Federal Government to urgently rehabilitate the Ibadan–Oyo–Ogbomoso Road, which it said had deteriorated to an almost impassable condition for motorists despite substantial funds reportedly allocated to the project.
According to the group, the deplorable condition of the federal highway has forced motorists to increasingly rely on the Ibadan–Iseyin and Iseyin–Ogbomoso roads constructed by the Makinde administration as alternative routes to avoid spending several hours navigating the damaged federal road.
The group said Oyelese and other political stakeholders should extend their demand for accountability to federal infrastructure projects, insisting that public officeholders at every level must be held responsible for the condition of roads and other facilities under their respective jurisdictions.
The group made its position known in a statement signed by its Chairman, Segun Adewumi.
It maintained that while financial accountability at the local government level was necessary, the same standard of scrutiny should apply to federal projects, particularly the Ibadan–Oyo–Ogbomoso corridor, which serves as a major transportation route for residents, commercial drivers and businesses.
Oyelese, who convenes the Oyo State Grassroots Financial Accountability Initiative, had challenged Makinde to account for allocations due to the state’s 33 local government areas since 2019, including the amounts received, deductions and expenditure.
Reacting to the demand, the Oyo State Elite Group said financial accountability was necessary but argued that assessments of local government performance should also consider projects delivered in communities and those still under construction.
The group further maintained that Oyelese and the APC were aware that several local government projects were ongoing across Oyo State and were expected to be commissioned before the end of the present administration’s tenure.
It argued that assessments of the government’s performance should take into account not only projects already completed but also those at advanced stages of execution and expected to be delivered before the administration leaves office.
The group said it was therefore premature to draw sweeping conclusions about the government’s grassroots performance without considering the scope of ongoing projects, their implementation status and anticipated completion.
It also questioned what it described as the APC’s repeated use of local government performance as a basis for criticising Makinde’s administration, saying such assessments should take account of documented infrastructure projects, their status and the level of work already undertaken.
According to the group, the Oyo State Government’s published register of local government projects, released through the Oyo State Feedback Service and updated as of December 8, 2025, documents projects across Ibadan, Ibarapa, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun and Oyo zones.
The group said the listed projects could be independently verified through physical inspections and examination of official records.
Road projects across Oyo State
Among the road projects documented in the register are the 14.1-kilometre Eruwa–Maya Road rehabilitation in Ibarapa East, the 15.75-kilometre Igbole Express Road project in Ibarapa Central, the six-kilometre Idiko-Ile–Ayegun Road in Iwajowa and the 10-kilometre Omi Adio Junction–Ido Junction Road.
The register also lists the 5.9-kilometre Akobo Ojurin–Olorunda Abaa Road project in Lagelu as completed, alongside the 83.82-kilometre limited rehabilitation of the Iseyin–Saki Road.
The Elite Group said these projects, alongside other road interventions recorded in the register, demonstrated the need to consider infrastructure delivery when assessing governance at the grassroots.
It added that the register also documented drainage works, culverts, bridges and other interventions aimed at improving access and movement within communities.
The group, however, expressed concern over the condition of the Ibadan–Oyo–Ogbomoso federal highway, arguing that its deterioration had placed additional pressure on alternative routes and prolonged journeys for motorists.
It said the Ibadan–Iseyin and Iseyin–Ogbomoso roads constructed by the Makinde administration had become important alternatives for motorists seeking to avoid the federal highway, where poor road conditions have reportedly resulted in lengthy travel delays.
The group urged Oyelese to use his standing as an elder statesman to engage the Federal Government and demand urgent rehabilitation of the road, adding that accountability should not be limited to projects executed by the state government.
It also called on the APC to address the condition of federal infrastructure in its assessment of governance, rather than focusing its criticism solely on the Oyo State Government.
Education, healthcare and market projects
On education, the group cited the construction of a three-classroom block, headmaster’s office, store and toilet at Ajangba Community Primary School in Irepo, listed as completed in the register.
It also referenced renovation work and the provision of desktop computers at Command Secondary School in Wewe, as well as another three-classroom project at L.A. Primary School, Oke-Amu, in Itesiwaju, which was listed as ongoing.
In the health sector, the register contains entries for health-centre projects at the College of Agricultural Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Iseyin, and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo. Both were recorded as ongoing as of the register’s reporting date.
The group further pointed to market projects, including the reconstruction of the burnt Akesan Market in Oyo East, the Kajola Market project in Ogbomoso South, the modern market at Orile-Igbon in Surulere and the Omituntun Market in Omi-Adio.
Other listed interventions include Olodo Bridge in Egbeda, a pedestrian bridge at Omikunle Community in Ibadan South LCDA, borehole projects, transformers, electricity extensions and solar-powered public lighting.
The register also records the procurement of 99 security vehicles for the 33 local government areas, alongside accommodation for security operatives deployed along highways, which was still ongoing at the time of publication.
Calls for transparency and accountability
The Elite Group argued that the condition of the Ibadan–Oyo–Ogbomoso federal highway presented another important test of public accountability, stressing that residents deserved to know why a major road reportedly backed by substantial budgetary allocations remained in such a deplorable state.
It said the APC and other political stakeholders should assess local government performance against available project records, while also demanding explanations from the relevant federal authorities over the state of the highway.
The group, however, acknowledged that a project register alone could not establish the precise funding source for every project or replace the need for audited accounts and allocation statements.
It called for a comprehensive examination of the relevant financial records to establish the allocations received by each council, expenditure incurred, projects executed and the status of ongoing works.
The group maintained that financial transparency and infrastructure assessment should go together, adding that residents deserved both proper accounting of public funds and clear information about projects undertaken in their communities.
It urged Oyelese, the APC and other stakeholders to examine the government’s published project register and subject the listed projects to independent verification, while also demanding accountability from the Federal Government over the Ibadan–Oyo–Ogbomoso Road.
The Oyo State Government’s local government project register is available at https://feedbackoysg.com/local-government-project-as-of-8-december-2025/
