Makinde plans to probe Ajimobi’s administration over Ibadan model school contract

By Our Correspondent

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Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said that the immediate past administration would be investigated on why the Oba Akinbiyi Model School contract was terminated after N400 million was spent on it with the tiles and doors basically broken.

Makinde stated this, yesterday, when he paid an unscheduled visit to the school at Oremeji, Ibadan, to physically assess the structural challenges reported to be troubling educational activities in the school.

The governor was accompanied by the state’s Commissioner for Education, Olasunkanmi Olaleye; officials of the ministry, the auditor-general of the state, and officials of the Ministry of Works, among others.

Makinde, who stated that though the school was only commissioned a few days before the expiration of the tenure of the last administration, said the building was no longer functional and teachers and students no longer feel safe inside the building.

He frowned at the structural defects noticed in the building, stating that the walls and the tiles were already giving way just one year after completion.

“In the file that came to me, this place was commissioned the week that I took over on May 29, 2019, a year plus ago. You can see it out there. Even the Oba Akinbiyi they wrote (the signboard) there is falling off. If you go inside, the tiles are broken. The structural integrity of the entire building is doubtful, and we have teachers and students there. We don’t want the building to collapse on anybody. So, we came to check.

“The borehole is not working. According to the principal, they have 57 toilets, but the students still go to the bush to do stuff. From the report that came to me, the contract was terminated from the original contractor and over N400 million was released by the government to complete it through direct labour.

“So, I believe they will have to make some explanations as to why the contract was terminated, N400 million spent and the tiles, doors, and everything basically broken.”

He, therefore, pledged to investigate the structural challenges in the building, stating that anyone found culpable would be made to face the wrath of the law.

He also asked the auditor-general and the Ministry of Works to investigate the situation further and get back to him.

“If in one year this whole thing is fallen into pieces, and people build their own houses and expect to live there for at least 25 years, this is obviously not acceptable to us. And we will get to the root of it,” he further said.