MICHAEL OPEYEMI BAMIDELE PURPORTED STEWARDSHIP: A BETTER REVELATION. For months now, Ekiti State has been under public centre-piece .This time not overly linked to Ido-Osi panorama but because of the different reports and unfolding events coming out in theNewspapers, Radio and Television. The reflection of the ostensible issue between Opeyemi Bamidele and some social critics is of heavy concern to good people of Ekiti. The crisis rocking the political shape of the state formerly known as ‘Fountain of Knowledge’ and now called the ‘Land of Honour’ is in defiant situation and cannot be over-emphasised by any agent, the teaming youths and the political bigwigs in the state. One can only trace the crisis to the insinuation by Opeyemi Bamidele’s assumed ambition to contest next Governorship election in the State. However, as the trend goes on, our attention has been drawn to a Newspaper publication published onthe pages of three Newspapers of Wednesday, September 4, 2013 with the caption “LETTER OF PROTEST AGAINST YOUR ANTI-PARTY ACTIVITIES FROM ADO EKITI & IREPODUN/IFELODUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS, EKITI CENTRAL FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY 1, EKITI STATE.” The publication explained and expressed fear and dissatisfaction about the quality of leadership he displayed on behalf of good people of Ekiti at the House of Representative, Abuja. The report debunked the claims by the account given by MOB to be frivolous and full of lies. This is the account of his claimed 57 projects that has been executed in Ekiti State which wasaccording to him was divided into 2012 & 2013 appropriation acts, hence 2012 having thirty-three (33) projects, while 2013 comprised of twenty four (24). But in his latest interview, while giving his account of stewardship in Lagos the numbers of the projects rose to 60. However, Opeyemi Bamidele’s claim was faulted; it was described as spurious and non-existent, present only on paper. This widely circulated advertorial became a huge concern to us. We remained discontented until the truth about this report is ascertained because of the personality of Opeyemi Bamidele, popularly known as ‘the promise keeper’ whose words and character has a long standing history with the people of Lagos where he served for 12 years and his constituency back in Ekiti. It however dawned on us as an independent Observer and Journalist who is bent on unravelling the truth by investigating thoroughly the issue. What aroused our concern was the silence at MOB’scamp. After the widely circulated advertorial, his camp have not been able to come out to refute the serious allegations raised in the advertorial. Therefore, we decided to dig into the accusation and counter accusation to re-affirm our interest in the long standing peaceful co-existence evident in Ekiti State before the rumoured ambition of the Iyin Ekiti born Politician, a lawyer and a former two-time commissioner in Lagos State. The man, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele popularly known as MOB, was elected member of House of Representative to represent Ekiti Central Constituency I. Available to us are the detailed account of stewardship programme of Michael Opeyemi Bamidele which took place in Lagos, coupled with the placed advertorial, which to a great extent has ben a subject of debate on the social media and which has also open up an expository can of his personality. MOB: The Known Promise Keeper. His stewardship was consequently placed under public scrutiny; it gave some political analysts a resounding false hope. So, it behoves on us as one of his admirers to embark on a clarity mission, investigate his promises, his projects and programmes as spelt out in his manifesto. Our organisation, REFLECTOR, is based in Lagos and it took us five (5) comprehensive days to visit sites and villages where his projects are supposedly located. MOB’s CAPITAL PROJECTS IN 2012 BUDGET Provision and installation of 300KV transformer at Oke Lawe quarters Iyin Ekiti6,879,597 Provision and installation of 300KVA transformer at Are Ekiti6,879,597 Construction of ICT and vocational Training Centre at Ibedoyin quarter, Iyin Ekiti32,001,125 Construction of 3 classrooms block at All saints Primary, Ado- Iyin Road15,000,000 Conventional street light (1km) along Iyin/Aramoko Road, Igede –Ekiti25,500,000 Provision of Hand pump Borehole at Ile-Ona Community Igede –Ekiti 2,250,000 Provision of Hand pump Borehole at Aroto Community, Iyin- Ekiti 2,250,000 Provision of Hand pump Borehole at Aba Igbera Community Igbemo Ekiti 2,250,000 Provision of motorised (Overhead tank) Borehole at Igbemo Ekiti6,700,000 Provision of Hand pump Borehole at Alawo Palace, Awo –Ekiti2,250,000 Provision of Hand pump Borehole at Oniworoko Palace Iworoko – Ekiti2,250,000 Provision of Hand pump Borehole at Elesure Palace, Esure – Ekiti2,250,000 Construction of Primary Health Centre at Araromi Obo Ekiti12,895,650 Construction of Primary Health Centre at Iworoko – Ekiti12,895,650 Construction of Primary Health Centre at Odo Uro Community Iyin Ekiti12,895,650 TOTAL N183,344,044 OUR FINDINGS: AT IGEDE EKITI Construction of Primary Health Centre at Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government secretariat (IILG)Secretariat Igede EkitiN12,895,650 The picture above is the purported health Centre at IGEDE, our finding reveals the project has been abandoned for almost 14months. At Igede Ekiti, our fact finding team visited the Primary Health Centre which was reported by MOB to have cost N12,865,650. The project has been abandoned according to an eyewitness present duringthe capturing of the above image. Also according to a local government staff that claimed anonymous, explained clearly that the project was launched almost 2years now and the people are expectant of the commissioning. Our team also tried hard to locate the site of the Ile-Ona Borehole but to no avail. This may not necessarily mean the “Promise keeper” has given a false account but it is important to feed the public the true and concise events as at when we visited. The borehole was announced to have been sunk at a cost of N2,250,000. IROPORA EKITI The front-view and the side-back view of Iropora Palace, MOB claim to have sunk a borehole worth N2,250,000 but was not found as at the time we visited the palace as at 12thSeptember,2013. IWOROKO Reflector found the project completed in front of Alaworoko’s Palace but not in good shape, the borehole is not functioning, it has been abandoned. The borehole was in tune ofN2,250,000. IGBEMO EKITI Provision of motorised (Overhead tank) Borehole at Igbemo EkitiN6,700,000 Reflector authoritatively gathered through the General Secretary of Igbemo Community in Igbemo Ekiti and one of the high Chief in the community that the Motorised Solar borehole have not been operated since completion. IYIN EKITI Construction of ICT and vocational Training Centre at Ibedoyin quarter, Iyin EkitiN32,001,125 This is the purported ICT vocational Centre expressly forecasted as part of his completed project. Reflector found the project uncompleted and abandoned in the bush in a very deteriorating condition. This is supposed to have cost a whopping N32,001,125 Finally some of the highlighted project above that did not appear in details was unfounded when Reflector visited all the mentioned towns and villages. Of importance was the bashing from Olori of Igbemo community, who denied MOB claims that he has cited a newly constructed health centre in Igbemo. She challenged the lawmaker to always come out plain and simple to his people and not deceitful. Also, in Are, effort to locate the announced 300KVA transformer was fruitless , the people of the community denied such a project, Reflector had to leave the community when the people ran out of patience and raining curseson the lawmaker. It will also interest the public and the people of Ado Ekiti especially resident of Oke Ila community to Adebayo. Reflector under the scorching sun was unable to cite any high-tension electricity pole and transformer claimed to have been in place by the ‘Promise keeper’. Similar there was nothing like ICT and Vocational Training centre in Ado–Ekiti Local Government Secretariat as claimed by our promise keeper. Culled From Reflector’s Diary 2013.
Posted on: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 03:16:54 +0000
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