The Oyo State Executive Council, on Wednesday, approved the sum of N63,479,858,000 for the overhauling of the Government House.

The African Action Congress (AAC) in Oyo State has accused Governor Seyi Makinde of deliberately inflating the cost of renovating the state's Government House in Agodi to N64 billion, allegedly to create a means to siphon public funds.

The Oyo State Executive Council, on Wednesday, approved the sum of N63,479,858,000 for the overhauling of the Government House.

This was disclosed in a statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, in Ibadan, the state capital.

The statement said the council described the current state and ambience of the Government House as an embarrassment and an unbefitting facility.

He observed that for the past six years, the governor and his deputy had been residing in their private houses instead of their official residences at the Government House.

Oyelade noted that the Banquet Hall at the Government House would be completed before the 50th anniversary of the state, next year, as part of the Seyi Makinde administration’s legacy for the next administration.

Reacting, in a press statement issued on Thursday and signed by Kayode Babayomi, the AAC party said Makinde’s administration is more interested in luxury than addressing the critical needs of the people.

“The African Action Congress (AAC) Oyo State chapter has learnt that the Seyi Makinde-led Oyo State government has earmarked over 60 billion naira for renovations at the government house in Agodi. This enormous amount is not just alarming but raises serious concerns,” the statement said.

It continued: “It is sad that, amid the numerous challenges facing the people of Oyo, Makinde chooses to prioritise this extravagant renovation of the government house. He claims that the government house is 'embarrassing and unbefitting.' However, what is truly unbefitting of the state is the condition of our primary and secondary schools, and what is embarrassing is the deplorable standard of healthcare available to our people.”

The AAC noted that the amount budgeted for the renovation exceeds the allocation to the health sector in the state’s 2025 budget.

It said, “Interestingly, the amount budgeted for this renovation is 5 billion naira more than the allocation for healthcare, which is meant to serve over 7 million people in Oyo State, in the 2025 budget.

“This figure is also three times the amount that was budgeted for healthcare in the previous year, which saw only a 70% budget performance. Similarly, the proposed renovation cost exceeds the entire education budget for the state in 2023.

“This clearly indicates that the current government is focusing on trivial matters while neglecting critical issues.”

The AAC also described the project as a cover for fraud, saying the N64 billion figure cannot be justified under any reasonable calculation.

It added: “If we were to construct an entirely new government house, it should not cost half of what is being earmarked for this so-called renovation. You don't need a professional engineer or builder to tell you that this situation reflects a clear case of budget padding and systemic corruption.

“Increased Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funding has led to more misappropriation rather than development, and the public must rise to challenge this blatant misuse of our resources.”

The party emphasised that development should not be measured by extravagant structures but by improved living conditions.

“We, in the African Action Congress, assert that the true development of a state is not measured by grand buildings but by the quality of life of its people. This is the only standard by which both the public and future generations will assess their leaders,” it said.

The statement ended with a call to Oyo residents to demand transparency and prepare for political change.

“We urge the good people of Oyo State to join us in demanding accountability and transparency from this mediocre Seyi-led PDP government,” it said.

“Makinde's priorities do not align with the well-being of the people of Oyo State. We must continue to organize ourselves to remove these corrupt individuals from our political landscape.”

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