It has become necessary to set the record straight and call for urgent institutional intervention following the recent TVC News appearance by the Managing Director/CEO of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority, where he made several exaggerated and misleading claims regarding project implementation under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security and infrastructural development.
In an era where transparency, accountability, and integrity in public service are paramount, we are deeply concerned that the MD has deliberately misinformed both the Nigerian public and the Presidency, thereby misrepresenting the true status of ongoing and completed projects across the Authority’s catchment states.
GREENHOUSE PROJECTS: 37 UNITS, NOT 350
The Managing Director claimed that 350 greenhouses have been established across the river basin states. This is factually inaccurate and grossly misleading. Verified records reveal that:
• Only 7 units exist at the Middle-Ogun Irrigation Project, Iseyin, Oyo State.
• 7 units at Igbojaiye Farm Project, Oyo State.
• 7 units at the Lower-Ogun Irrigation Project, Mokoloki, Ogun State.
• 4 units at Fididiti Farm Project, Oyo State.
• 6 units at Okuku Farm Project.
• 6 units at Ofiki Farm Project.
This brings the total to just 37 greenhouses, not the 350 units the MD falsely paraded to the media and Nigerians.
Even more damning is that only two locations have actually been planted with peppers, while the remaining sites remain unutilized, making the entire claim of a fully functioning, multi-location greenhouse network a deceptive media jamboree.
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS: INFLATED AND UNJUSTIFIED
1. Oke-Mosan Flood and Erosion Control Work, Ogun State
• Already awarded under the 2023 Appropriation and construction completed.
• The only new work involved was less than 400m of asphalt (3.7m wide, under 1-inch thickness), which falls far below national standards and poses a durability risk.
2. Osogbo Flood Control Work, Osun State
• Executed by “Done-Deal Company,” with only about 350m of asphalt laid at less than 1-inch thickness, again undermining value for money and structural integrity.
3. Owa-Kurudu Drainage Work, Ijebu-Ode
• Project was curiously awarded to two companies.
• Only about 300m of drainage constructed, yet a Phase II has already been inserted into the 2025 budget — an act that smacks of double-dipping and fiscal misappropriation.
CALL TO ACTION: INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION IMMEDIATELY
The brazen inflation and manipulation of project figures and executions under this administration cannot go unchallenged.
We therefore call on the following institutions to immediately commence a full-scale, independent investigation:
• Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
• Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)
• Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP)
• Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF)
• Presidential Monitoring and Evaluation Unit (PMEU)
These agencies should appoint external valuers and certified engineers to conduct on-site assessments of:
• Actual quantity and quality of completed works
• Compliance with approved Bills of Quantities (BoQ) and Bills of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (BEME)
• Contract awards versus actual physical and financial progress
THE PRESIDENT DESERVES HONEST PUBLIC SERVANTS
President Tinubu’s food security and infrastructure agenda is too critical to be sabotaged by individuals hiding under national priorities to divert public funds. If public officials are allowed to inflate, fabricate, or duplicate projects to gain media clout, our national development goals are undermined at the roots.
We urge the relevant authorities to act swiftly. This is not just about correcting the record; it is about protecting public trust and deterring impunity.
The MD/CEO of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority should be held accountable, and if found culpable, prosecuted for deliberate misrepresentation and financial mismanagement.
Gboyega Oladayo
Executive Director
Citizens for Good Governance