Osun State Government, yesterday, denied claims made by a former Commissioner for Home Affairs in the state, Mr. Sikiru Ayedun, that the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola received N48b from the Federal Government as a refund on federal roads constructed within the State.

The State Commissioner for Finance, Bola Oyebamiji, while making clarification in a statement made available to The Guardian, described Ayedun’s claim as untrue, misleading and capable of creating disharmony, strife and bad blood within the progressive family.

He explained that the total contract sum is N38b and not N48b, as alleged by the former aide to Rauf Aregbesola.

According to him, the total refund by the Federal Government to the state was in three tranches and they stood at N11.9b, based on the project delivered by contractors.

The Commissioner revealed that the refund was expended on four road projects inherited from the previous administration, as against the claim by Ayedun that the refund was being used to pay full salaries to civil servants in the state.

Oyebamiji urged well-meaning Osun citizens to endeavour to verify all information before publication and dissemination to ensure a peaceful and healthy political atmosphere for all and sundry. He said: “The total contract sum of all the federal road projects embarked upon by Osun State Government, as approved by the Federal Ministry of Works, is N38b. It, therefore, stands logic on its head to claim that the sum of N48b will be paid by FG for projects, whose total contract sum equals N38b. The last time we checked, the Federal Government is not a Father Christmas.

“The projects in question, as of November 2018, on the average, were less than 35 per cent completion. Available records show that Osun State Government awarded the 29km Gbongan–Akoda dualisation project in 2013 for N29b, while the 40km Osogbo–Ikirun–Ila Odo Kwara boundary was awarded for N17.5b in the same year, making both projects amount to N46.5b, as proposed by Osun State Government. “However, after due diligence and thorough assessment by the FG Public Procurement Agency, the contract sum was reviewed downward thus: Gbongan–Akoda road at N23b, and Osogbo–Ila Odo road at N15b to carry the approved award contract sum of N38b for all the ongoing FG roads under construction. This review was duly communicated to Osun State Government…”