Gov Adeleke Launches Probe Into Ilesa Water Project, Suspends Project Consultant

Governor  Ademola Adeleke of Osun state on Wednesday  ordered the immediate suspension of the project consultant for the Ilesa Water Project, Mrs. Tawa Williams  citing  questionable handling of the project’s  $106 million dollars loan.

 Governor Adeleke in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com by his spokesman, Mallam Olawale Rasheed further ordered  a full -scale probe  into  the entire project and the loans already taken  saying  ‘there  has been no  progress  despite  the reported disbursement of N10 billion and another $28million  in respect of the project’.

The Governor equally suspended the project coordinator to allow for an unhindered review of the loan administration while the Consultant was directed to return to government the N70m bullet proof jeep in her possession.

‘Governor Adeleke’s directive was sequel to the interim report submitted by the State Assets Recovery Committee chaired by Dr B.T. Salami which had  made recommendations for  an immediate action to stop further squandering of loans secured to execute the Water Project.

The State Chief Executive frowned at the large- scale corruption reflected in the handling of the loans and the project, an action he regretted has denied the people of Ilesa and environs access to drinkable water’ the statement said.

‘ My administration will dig into this matter with all seriousness. The huge funds in question are loans to be repaid. We have a sacred duty to ensure accountability and transparency in the handling of the fund and the project’ the governor added.

The statement also noted that the Assets Recovery Committee had submitted an interim report which had revealed an ongoing large -scale pilfering of the procured loans while the project had recorded no progress in commensurate with the reported expenditure.

According to the interim report of Salami -led committee, the Islamic Development Bank  had agreed to fund the project to the tune of $65 million while the Federal Government  had provided $41.94 million. 

‘So far, a total of $27.073 million has been expended from the IDB loan of $65 million, leaving a balance of the sum of $37.926 million. However, from the Federal Government loan of $41.94 million which the Consultant had converted to N12 Billion, the sum of N10 Billion had been purportedly spent on the project, leaving a balance of N2 Billion’ the report  said.

The Committee noted that despite the huge sums of $27.073 million and N10 Billion of the state resources (repayable loans) already spent so far, the Ilesa water project ‘is not yet functional and the good people of Ilesa are yet to have access to potable water’.

The recommendations of the committee which Governor Adeleke endorsed are as follows: 

 The suspension of the Consultant and the Project Coordinator with immediate effect;

 The Government should take a second look at the process leading to the auctioning of the various water pipes across the state and the revenue which accrued there from;

 Given the enormity of the money involved in the Ilesa Water Project which are loans repayable by the Osun State Government both to IDB and the Federal Government, the execution of the project be probed with a view to ensuring that the state gets value for its money and that the loans are not diverted to private pockets;

 The N70 million bullet-proof project vehicle in possession of the Consultant be immediately retrieved from her;

 The State Government should reconcile the level of its financial exposure ($65 million and $41.94 million) on this project with other financial exposures of the state with a view to determining and/or ascertaining the total indebtedness of the state to both local and international creditors’ – Team@orientactualmags.com
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