Controversy As Akinlades Battle Over Projects Ownership
It is a mere empty statement to pronounce that everything is working out smoothly between the Hon. representing Yewa South/IPOKIA federal constituency at the lower chamber of National Assembly, Hon. Kunle Akinlade popularly known as TRIPLE A and the immediate past House of Reps member who represented the same federal constituency (Yewa South/IPOKIA federal constituency) between 2003 and 2015, Hon. Abiodun Akinlade.
Although, the two political gladiators have been described as best of friends before the 2015 general elections which flushed out Hon. Abiodun after his 12years at the National Assembly and ushered in Hon. Kunle who now represents the area.
As most people would have noticed, a reasonable level of decorum and smooth relationship were noticed between the two political gladiators despite that they belong to different political parties even though there are speculations that Hon. Abiodun who is currently a member of PEOPLES’ DEMOCRATIC PARTY-PDP may defect to the ruling party, APC, where Hon. Kunle belongs.
However, a serious battle of who claims the ownership of most the ongoing and completed projects within the federal constituency between the year 2016 and 2017 has consumed the good relationship shared by the two political icons.
For clarity, let it be emphasized that immediately Hon. Abiodun lost to Hon. Kunle in his re election bid in 2015, he has been appointed as Special Adviser to the National Assembly thereafter and which, in one way or the other, has qualified him as part of the current administration even though not at the elective office capacity.
Meanwhile, the ongoing battle of who claims the ownership of projects between these two political gladiators has polarized major political activities and opinions among the followers of the duo thereby leaving their followers to a game of defending their principals at all levels and without the general publics being properly educated on how major projects were facilitated to fully substantiate why who should claim the ownership of what project.
This unhealthy atmosphere has therefore forced YEWA LAWA NIG LTD which, of course, is a media organization to take it upon herself to meet with the two political gladiators for an interview so that the publics can be provided with accurate information and reports on how major projects that are being claimed by the duo of Hon. Abiodun and Hon. Kunle were facilitated and carried out in other to determine who should claim ownership over the said projects.
Some four weeks ago, YEWA LAWA contacted the duo of Hon. Abiodun and Hon. Kunle to seek their audience respectively following the declaration of YEWA LAWA to get involved as a media organization in the matter and the two parties admitted.
On 18th April, 2017, YEWA LAWA met with Hon. Abiodun as scheduled and he was taken to the towns and villages where the various controversial projects were located. The towns and villages are: Irogun Yewa, Faji community in IPOKIA Yewa and Ilashe Yewa respectively.
While answering questions, Hon. Abiodun confirmed to YEWA LAWA that the various controversial projects were never facilitated by him during the period he was representing the federal constituency but he has used his strong relationship with colleagues at the National Assembly to place the projects in the 2016 budget. “In Nigeria today, there are 20 Special Advisers to the National Assembly and these 20 Special Advisers are given the same treatment with the Ministers of Federal Republic of Nigeria. I also want you to know that your relationship with other colleagues at the national Assembly will determine whatever you will bring home apart from your salary and constituency allowance. Let me tell you today that even though I am not occupying an elective office, my position at the national Assembly and my good relationship with other colleagues over there have always qualified me to bring home projects to my people”, Hon. Abiodun has said.
Meanwhile, YEWA LAWA did not fail to ask Hon. Abiodun to explain why he is claiming the ownership of a block of 3class rooms in Ilashe Yewa, the health centre at Irogun Yewa and the uncompleted health centre at Faji community in IPOKIA Yewa.
According to him, he said “let me confirm to you that these projects we are talking about are not constituency projects which everyone believes normally controlled by a sitting Reps member who may be representing any giving area. These projects are from Federal ministry of Housing and I will show you how I have been lobbying to ensuring that the projects were placed in 2016 budget through the colleagues that are in charge(and which he did). Ordinary individual who is never a member of national Assembly can sponsor how a project will enter the budget in as much such a person has a means of doing that, so I have ensured that these projects entered the budget and this is the reason why that any time such project is approved, the people in charge will always inform me and I will get in touch with the traditional heads of the communities where the projects are going. Go and ask the Obas and the Baales of those towns and villages, they will confirm this to you; theses are the people who gave me land where these projects are sited today”.
While talking to Baale of Faji community where a project of health centre is sited, Chief Avose Samuel Shodijo, he said “Hon. Abiodun Akinlade called me on phone that he has a project for my village. I was the one who informed the Executive Chairman of my Local government about the project, Mr Josu Amos(Ipokia Local Government). The Chairman asked me if at all we have land and I answered him YES and I also took him onto the land to show him. So, I can confirm to you that Hon. Abiodun Akinlade brought the project to us”.
Also, it was the same story with the Baale of Irogun Yewa where we saw a project of Health centre. According to the Baale, he said ” Hon. Akinlade was the person who called me and asked me to discuss with other Baales in my locality on where we want to site the project he’s bringing to us and I did so”.
Meanwhile, every effort to gain the attention of Hon. Kunle Akinlade was never successful as he has refused to answer calls and our messages to him were not replied apart from the first call he answered when we requested him to have interview hour with us and which he promised he would for more than three weeks ago.
