FEDERAL GOVT PROJECTS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT LIES: OFFA DESERVES BETTER THAN FAKE COMMISSIONINGS

Publish the cost, details of bidding process and specifications if otherwise

_How can Local Government project carry Federal Government locator signpost with budget code?._

_Placing beneficiary as Client instead of executing MDAs won’t save you from. Being exposed!!!_

Firstly, I sincerely appreciate the Chairman Alh Suleiman Olatunji zeal to make an impact, one cannot give what he or she does not have. But leadership is not about pretence or deceit. He must lead and act with sincerity if he truly wishes to serve Offa with dignity.

Despite receiving over ₦4.1 billion allocation between September 2024 and June 2025 marking the first 9months of the regime as published by FAAC from Federation account accrued to the Offa Local Government authority, the leadership has failed to construct any single road project of its own. Yet, in an embarrassing show of mediocrity, it organized a funfair to commission a mere 1.1km asphalt road project—a project that is clearly a Federal Government Zonal Intervention Project as contained and fully funded in the National Budget 2024 as approved, not a local government initiative.

Let it be clear: the credit of these projects belongs to the Federal Government of Nigeria, and those individuals who facilitated the insertions among which many maintain to remain anonymous not to any other tier of government or the Mr. Suleiman Olatunji led council.

To further set the record straight, Offa Local Government is just a supervisor and the following are other Federal Zonal Intervention Projects (with their budget codes) in Offa Local Government including Ayaba Ring Road are what have been captured for execution, awarded by relevant MDAs, newly and currently ongoing in Offa:

Federal Zonal Intervention Projects in Offa fully funded by FGN includes

1. *Reconstruction & Rehabilitation of 1.1km Asphaltic Concrete Access Road*

Budget Code: ERGP27205475

With trapezoidal concrete drainages and ring culverts.

Location: Awrab Suite – Bintilaye – Owode Market Road, Offa.

Status: NEW.

2. *Construction & Rehabilitation of 1.2km Asphaltic Concrete Link Road*

Budget Code: ERGP27205625

With 877m trapezoidal concrete drainages and ring culverts.

Location: Oloami to Atari Road, Offa.

Status: NEW.

3. *Provision & Installation of Solar Street Lights*

Budget Code: ERGP27206496

Locations: Awrab Bintilaye – Owode Market Road, Oloami – Blue HT-Atari Road, Hengee HT-Rondo Road, Ijagbo – Rojah Hospital Junction Road (all in Offa).

Status: NEW.

4. *Provision of Solar-Powered Water Supply Systems in 3 Communities*

Budget Code: ERGP27206430

5. *Components: 9m³ fibreglass reinforced plastic storage tank, 6m high steel stanchions, water treatment plant house, 5m³ water treatment plant, fetching points.*

Locations: Awere Community, Olowosoke Community, Dapson/Blue Hostel, Akoye Community (A, B, C), Offa.

Status: NEW.

6. *Urban Renewal & Slum Upgrading Project*

Budget Code: ERGP27205212

Involving construction/rehabilitation of roads, culverts, and drains.

Location: Atanoba/St. Clairs Area, Offa.

Status: ONGOING.

It is shameful and degrading that a government with mouth watering Allocations as huge as *4.1bn* in first 9months would resort to celebrating what it never funded or executed.

*By staging a jamboree for a 1.1km federal project, the local government has insulted the intelligence of Offa people and disrespected the dignitaries, including our revered ODU leadership, who were invited under false pretenses.*

In fact, if the Local Government insists it truly executed the project, we dare them to *publish the full cost, specifications, and supporting documents including tender advert and bidding process details of the 1.1km road they falsely claimed and commissioned with fanfare.*

As we all know, More importantly, the contract award procedure requires a transparent tender process leading to contract award. The Local Government must publish the bidding process, award details, and the full cost of the project if it was indeed their initiative.

*Offa is a proud community with unprecedented record of self help in term of road facilitation and constructions without noise, ranging from the underlisted successful family and individuals championed road rehabilitations:*

1. The Oyekeke Family constructed the 10km Offa–Igbona Road without commissioning fanfare.

2. Anonymous citizens facilitated over 2km asphalt roads with street lights at Atan Oba – St. Clairs area silently.

3. Our Senator facilitated over 25km combined link roads without noise in Offa Local Government.

4. Asiwaju of Offa facilitated the Awrab Suite Hotel Link Road and the Avalon Hotel Link Road with no noise or jamboree.

5. An interlock road was delivered by an individual without ceremony along Amana Villa opposite Alaba, Olohunkuse Road.

Yet today, a local government with billions in allocations celebrates a false claim over a 1.1km federal project with unnecessary jamboree.

The Chairman and Local Government Authority must desist from this deceit.

Governance must be approached with seriousness, sincerity, and commitment. *If allocations are being cornered elsewhere—as often alleged—then the leadership should be bold enough to tell the truth rather than fooling Offa people with fake achievements.*

We caution that such practices *present Offa as a gullible and unwise community to the power Lord of Ahmadu Bello House in Ilorin , which is dangerous to our dignity.* Offa people are not cheap, and we must not allow mediocrity to define our heritage going forward.

It is worth recalling that under Barr. Segun Olawoyin during the administration of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, CON as Governor of Kwara State, over 10 roads were constructed in Offa without noisy jamboree. Similarly, during Hon. Saheed Popoola’s tenure as Chairman of Offa Local Government so as during Hon. Prince Waheed Olanipekun as chairman offa local Government, both under former Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed, a number of roads were constructed quietly, without fanfare.

Governance is a serious business, not a child’s play or a theater of hypocrisy.

I therefore call on the Offa local Government authority to :

1. Tender An unreserved public apology to all Offa indigenes and dignitaries who were deceived into attending the fake commissioning of a federal project.

2. A stop to the proposed rallies thanking a Mr. Governor who has done nothing special in Offa LGA other than *short changing our Federal Allocations* . If there is any “thank you rally,” it should be directed at *President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR,* whose administration facilitated these zonal intervention projects, including the 1.1km Ayaba Ring Road project wrongly claimed by the local government.

Let us remember:

“None of us can be better than all of us without some of us. We must be our brothers’ keepers and operate with dignity.”

The time has come to stop this junior mediocre governance attempt in Offa before it excalate into full blown monster approach. Offa people demand and deserves the truth and nothing but the truth, accountability, and dignity in leadership remain essential and pride of any true son and daughter of Offaland.

Signed:
Hon. Comr. Salahudeen A. Lukman
(Eluku Omo Adugbo)
Offa, Kwara State