Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde has explained why his administration awarded major contracts in the state to non-indegenous companies.
The explanation which was made by the Governor at the Flag-off of the 21km Airport-Ajia-New Ife Road-Amuloko road project was in reaction to a series of reports by OYOINSIGHT.COM.
On July 24, this newspaper reported that the decision of the state government to award the construction of the 21km Airport-Ajia-New Ife Road-Amuloko road project to an Asaba-based company – Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Ltd — is contrary to a promise the Governor made during a thank you visit to the people of Ogbomosho that his administration would patronize only indigenous contractors.
Similarly, on July 26, findings by this newspaper again revealed that the contract of another major project — the rehabilitation of Awotan Solid Waste Dumpsite — was awarded to a non-indigenous company – Macpresse West Africa Limited.
Reacting to these reports on Wednesday, Makinde stated that he was forced to look for a company outside Oyo State to execute the contracts but maintained that the company awarded the contract of the Airport-Amulolo road had promised to employ Oyo State indegenes as construction labourers.
“Let me state that even when we are forced to look outside Oyo State for persons to execute the projects under APFA, we still put the interests of our people first. For example, Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Ltd has agreed that the construction labour will come from Oyo State, and we are holding them to that agreement,”Makinde said.
He added: “Some have said the company we awarded the contract to is from Asaba in Niger Delta and that we want to take Oyo State’s money to my wife’s state. First, let me put it on record that my wife is not from Delta but from Rivers State.
“Second, the representative of the company we awarded the project to, Engr Abel Adeleke, has spoken here today. He is from Osun State and they are using their money to start this project.”
