IBADAN EXPLOSION: FAYOSE RELEASES EVIDENCE OF ALLEGED N50BN FG RELIEF FUND TO OYO GOVT (PHOTO)
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By: Sefiu Ajape
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has released what he described as evidence to support his claim that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State received N50 billion from the Federal Government as intervention funds following the January 2024 Ibadan explosion.
In a statement accompanied with a document sighted by Hotjist on Sunday, Fayose said he was compelled to release official documents after Governor Makinde challenged him to provide proof of his claim.
The document, dated August 29, 2024, and titled “RE: Requests for Special Intervention Funds”, lists Oyo State as the top entry under requests for intervention funding to support the reconstruction of Old Bodija and its environs following the January 2024 Ibadan explosion.
According to the document, Oyo State requested N50 billion for the project. The schedule attached to the memo indicates that, out of a total of N915.5 billion requested by various states, only N450.7 billion had been disbursed at the time, leaving an outstanding balance of N464.7 billion.
Fayose said the disclosure was necessary to clarify the facts after Makinde publicly questioned the former governor’s claim.
“Two days ago, I said on a national television that Oyo State under Governor Seyi Makinde got a sum of N50bn from the Federal Government as intervention on the January 2024 explosion in Ibadan,” Fayose said.
“Yesterday, the Governor responded by asking me to provide evidence that he received such money, and here is the evidence he asked for.”
Fayose further alleged that only N4.5 billion was released to victims of the explosion, claiming that the balance was diverted for other purposes.
“Meanwhile, only N4.5bn was released to victims of the Ibadan Explosion. Rather, he diverted this fund and many others to his Presidential ambition, which is the reason for the crisis in the PDP and his attacks on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his government,” he alleged.
The former governor said he was reluctant to disclose official documents but felt it was necessary in the interest of public accountability.
“Even though it is not in my character to go public with official government documents, I had to do this so that Nigerians will know who is saying the truth, and who has not been sincere with the people of Oyo State,” Fayose said.
He also accused Makinde of selectively disclosing details of meetings held with President Bola Tinubu, insisting that full disclosure was necessary.
“Most importantly, if as a governor, you have elected to go on national television to disclose part of what transpired in private meetings you had with the President, it becomes the duty of well-meaning Nigerians to give full disclosure,” he added.
Fayose challenged the Oyo State governor to seek legal redress over the allegation.
“Lastly, I challenge Governor Seyi Makinde to sue me on this. Let me also tell him that there are proofs of other intervention funds received from Tinubu’s administration by the Oyo State Government, which the governor refused to disclose to the people,” he said.
He further claimed to possess documents relating to the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
“Also, there are documentary evidences on the actual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Oyo State, as against Governor Makinde’s claim, but we will keep our gunpowder dry for now,” Fayose said.
“My name is still Ayo Fayose, I don’t say what I can’t prove.”
The dispute stems from comments made by Fayose during a television interview, where he alleged that President Bola Tinubu released N50 billion to Makinde to address the aftermath of the January 2024 explosion in Ibadan, which claimed five lives, injured 77 people and destroyed about 55 houses.
Makinde had visited President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja in January 2024 to submit a report on the incident.
However, Fayose claimed that the funds were not paid directly into the Oyo State Government’s accounts.
The allegation was amplified by Lere Olayinka, a former aide to Fayose and now spokesperson to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who wrote on Facebook: “Ibadan Gomina General got N50bn from Tinubu’s govt, only to release N4.5bn to victims of Ibadan explosion of January 2024.”
Reacting earlier to the claim, the Oyo State Government dismissed the allegation as baseless.
“There is no substance to the claim. If he (Fayose) has proof that the Federal Government gave N50bn, he should provide it. It is not just about going on air to say rubbish,” Sulaimon Olarenwaju, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, told reporters.
“If he has evidence, he should come forward with it. I don’t think we should waste time on these guys.”
The state government maintained that its response to the Ibadan explosion was handled transparently, with a focus on supporting victims and rebuilding affected areas.
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