The Oyo Global Forum (OGF) has expressed concern over the exclusion of Oyo Zone in a recent approval by the State Executive Council of projects worth over ₦113 billion, spanning road construction, rehabilitation, and related works across different parts of the state.
The group’s chairman, Taiwo Adebayo, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP on Wednesday, stated that government must be more inclusive and open about public finance and distribution of resources
While OGF appreciates the importance of infrastructure development and did not oppose the government’s efforts to improve mobility to accelerate economic growth, it however expressed deep concern “that not a single project has been allocated to Oyo Federal Constituency, which is becoming a troubling pattern.
“This omission is especially troubling given the deplorable state of virtually all roads across Afijio, Atiba, Oyo East, and Oyo West Local Government Areas.”
Adebayo stated that during recent visits to several communities in the zone, OGF witnessed firsthand, how residents struggle daily with poor access roads, “some of which have been cut off entirely, making life more difficult and undermining economic activity.
“People now fix cars with outrageous costs they should have freed up investment in schooling of their children and family healthcare.
“Apart from roads, there are some critical projects left abandoned in the Oyo Zone, namely the State Hospital and Silos, particularly critical to agricultural transformation.”
OGF also lamented the deplorable state of the hospital in Oyo, “yet a project to expand and strengthen its delivery capacity has been left abandoned for years.”
He added that the OGF has consistently called for fairer, more inclusive, and participatory budgeting. “The latest announcement only reinforces the perception that large-scale public spending decisions are being made without proper consultation, transparency, or equitable distribution.
“We are also mindful that these projects come against the backdrop of the state government’s recent controversial ₦300 billion loan proposal.
“While borrowing can be a legitimate tool and the government needs to approach the debt market to finance development, the burden of repayment will be shared by all citizens across the state. Therefore, it is unjust for the benefits of such debts to be inequitably allocated”.
It therefore urged the state government under Governor Seyi Makinde to ensure equitable distribution of infrastructure projects across all zones of the state, including Oyo Federal Constituency.
The group further called on the state government to open up public finance processes to greater transparency and citizen participation to ensure actual needs were met, and communicate clearly how loan funds and public resources were being allocated, to build trust and accountability.
While calling on the government to address the imbalance in these recent allocations, the OGF urged the lawmakers representing constituencies that form the Oyo Zone “to hold the government to account and demand the best for our Zone and its people”.
