Criticism against Ajimobi frivolous –Attorney-General Oyo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Adebayo Ojo, tells OLUFEMI ATOYEBI in this interview that no amount of criticisms will derail Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s urban renewal projects How is Oyo State government handling several criticisms facing it from the public and opposition parties? Pressure groups, opposition parties and the media exist to put government at any level on its toes. We need them in the society, but criticism must be constructive and responsible. People should not criticise just to express their personal hatred for a government or to attack someone. Indefensible, baseless and untenable criticisms are destructive. It is strange to hear some people say that the current administration is driving traders away from their shops and taking away their means of livelihood. Where are the traders in question and where are the shops that were demolished? Recently, we set up a commission of enquiry headed by Justice Okanola Boade to look into all the allegations against the government. We have found out that the criticisms are frivolous. We told erring traders not to trade on the road and that structures must not be erected on areas marked as set-backs and under high-tension electricity facility. These are things that are obviously dangerous to lives. We as a government will be irresponsible if we watch while our people are being killed along the rail line, major roads and places where high current electricity installations are located. Shortly after we embarked on urban renewal projects across the state, we were lucky not to have recorded a major disaster because at a dangerous spot where we urged people to vacate because of possible danger, a driver lost control of his truck and the vehicle fell. We were lucky because at least, 30 people would have lost their lives. In Apata, electricity poles collapsed and electric wires with high voltage fell on people trading under it, killing many of them. We provided neighbourhood markets in several places and the government gave the shops out free and also gave the traders money to trade. This runs into millions of naira and we are still doing it. But it seems government has slowed down in the implementation of the policy because the traders are back on the road. Could the approaching 2015 elections and criticism be responsible for this? We want the second term in order to build on what we have achieved. That ambition, however, will not be at the expense of the good work we are doing. The traders are returning to the roads because we don’t have enough officials to monitor their advances. The state monitoring and enforcement outfit, YES-O, was laid off because government wanted to reconstitute it. We have completed that process and soon, they will begin work and protect and maintain law and order. Why is it taking the government so long to complete the bridge linking Apete community with the rest of the city? After the 2012 floods swept away the bridge, we awarded the contract to an indigenous company even though some still make frivolous criticism that Ajimobi’s administration gives contract to foreigners. Unfortunately, the contractor lacked the capacity to execute such a huge project. When his bid was evaluated, we saw evidence of what he had completed elsewhere so we trusted him. But when he moved to the site, we realised that the job overwhelmed him. We cancelled the contract and awarded it to a more competent contractor. But when the Federal Government cut our allocation by 40 per cent, we were handicapped financially. We told the contractor to seek fund for the project while we provide the collateral. It declined to borrow, but we have made sufficient progress and that project will be completed this year. What are the chances of Ajimobi’s return in 2015? Someone once wrote in the social media that comparing Ajimobi with the government before him was like comparing commonsense with nonsense. I agree with him because before we came on board, security was at its lowest, but now order is in place. Education is better and other sectors are brimming with life now. Our people are wise now and I am convinced that Ajimobi will win again. Are you aware that Lam Adesina’s son, Dr. Ayobami, has declared his intention to face Ajimobi in the race for the All Progressives Congress governorship ticket? I have never met Ayobami even though we are from the same council area. I know his siblings very well. But what is his pedigree in politics? He is no threat to anybody.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 11:29:21 +0000
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