Key Points

• The governor of Ogun State claims Adeola misused money intended for the Ake Pavilion construction project.
• The spokesperson of Adeola assured the public that the budget terms justified the signage installation.
• Project description inaccuracies create the main source of disagreement between the two parties.

Senator Ibikunle Amosun who served as Ogun State Governor before accused Olamilekan Adeola of representing Ogun West in the Senate about diverting public projects.

The “Renovation of Ake Pavilion Roofing and other Facilities, Ogun State” appeared on project board documentation despite Amosun voicing doubts about a library project enabled by Adeola in Abeokuta.

Amosun believes the Ake Pavilion project inscription on the project board shows the diversion of federal budget funds toward a dissimilar project.

Amosun’s response on project diversion

The library project remains separate from the Ake Pavilion which the governor paid for independently according to a public declaration by Amosun.

In his statement Amosun explained the Ake Pavilion stands at 95% completion with a main feature of a 3,000-capacity amphitheater joined by banquet halls and a museum along with other facilities.

Governor Amosun established this project at the Ake Palace Grounds when he served as governor but the project never received funding from Adeola as one of her constituency projects.

The governor asked Adeola to disclose the correct details about the Ewang Estate Extension Library project that he established while serving as governor. Amosun made clear that he used his personal financial means to pay for the entire Ake Pavilion development.

Adeola’s response

Senator Adeola rebuked the allegation concerning project diversion through a rapid defense. The official budgetary terminology placed the mention of Ake Pavilion renovation on the library project signpost according to Kayode Odunaro who spoke on behalf of Senator Adeola.

Controller of Information Kayode Odunaro explained that the stated facilities represented assets the funds could cover within Ogun State.

Odunaro confirmed Adeola did not understand the Ake Pavilion had been funded by Amosun as a private project. Adeola took the decision to step away from taking credit for the project once he became aware of its connection to Amosun’s funding.

He worked together with the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to build the library through available financial resources.