Controversy has trailed the approval of the dualisation of the Ore/Ondo/Akure dual-carriageway as two members of the National Assembly from Ondo state, Adeniyi Adegbonmire and Abiola Makinde, are both laying claims to the feat of facilitating the road project.  

Mr Adegbonmire, a senator, represents Ondo Central Senatorial District, while Mr Makinde is a member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Ondo West/East Federal Constituency in the National Assembly.  

On July 29, 2024, the Ore/Ondo/Akure highway road project was listed among 13 road projects, which gulped about N1.455 trillion and was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu.  

Briefing journalists after the FEC meeting in Abuja, minister of works, David Umahi, announced the approval of the Ondo road project among several others that got the president’s nod.  

“And we have the Ore-Ondo-Akure Road, which is under special intervention due to flooding. It is 24 months long and has a total contract sum of N134 billion in favour of CBC Nigeria Limited, which will use concrete because of the terrain,” Mr Umahi said.  

But in a post on his social media on Thursday, Mr Makinde said that the motion for the dualisation of the Ore/Ondo/Akure road was raised by him on the floor of the Green Chamber of the National Assembly on December 14, 2021, noting that it was seconded by Okwudili Christopher Eze Nwankwo, a member representing Orumba North/Orumba South Federal Constituency of Anambra State, at a sitting presided over by former Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.  

According to him, his intention was to ensure the safety of the lives of the people who use the road, which had become a nightmare for motorists and travellers due to its deplorable state.  

He added that there was a similar attempt to take credit for the upgrade of Adeyemi College of Education to a university last year, but the peddlers were confronted with facts.  

“It has become imperative to put right the claims by some sections about the Ore-Ondo-Akure federal road, which saw contractors recently mobilized to the site after N153bn was approved and ratified by the Federal Executive Council for it.  

“As a member of the House of Representatives representing Ondo East/West Federal Constituency, I moved the motion on the floor of the House on December 14, 2021, stated the issue whilst compelling the Ministry of Works to prioritise work on the said road.  

“Hon. Okwudili Christopher Eze Nwankwo, a member representing Orumba North/Orumba South Federal Constituency in Anambra State, seconded the motion and the whole House Members agreed to it. The then Speaker, now Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila,” Mr Makinde explained.  

He added, “When Adeyemi became a university, some persons came out to claim it as their initiative. It was until we presented documents to disprove their claims that they put a stop to their agitation to usurp the work of others.  

“Now, the construction of the Ore-Ondo-Akure federal road dualisation has kick-started. Some people are out to claim credit for it.”  

But in a counter-argument, Mr Adegbonmire described Mr Makinde’s claims as untrue.  

The Ondo senator, in a statement issued by his senior legislative aide (SLA), Bolarinde Akinloye, acknowledged the federal lawmakers’ efforts in the 9th Assembly to ensure the road project saw the light of day but noted that it was neither approved nor implemented at that time, despite the push by the latter.  

According to Mr Adegbonmire, the actualisation of a project goes way beyond moving a motion on the floor of the House of Representatives.  

Mr Adegbonmire revealed that he played a critical role in ensuring that the road project moved beyond legislative discussions to actualisation.  

He noted that as a member of the appropriation committee of the Senate, he had the strategic leverage to “lobby” for the necessary funding for the actualisation of the road project, including mobilising contractors to the site.  

“It is, however, a laudable step. Legislative intervention, as it relates to getting the Executive arm of Government to approve and execute any project, involves various steps such as getting the relevant MDA to buy into the project and for the Executive arm of Government to provide for its funding.  

“The Legislature itself recognises this, hence the use of the word ‘urge’ in such motions. Urge, as we all know, means to persuade. The executive arm of the government, therefore, has to be persuaded to approve and execute any project, the subject matter of a motion.  

“Despite Hon. Makinde’s efforts in the 9th Assembly, the project was neither approved nor implemented at that time. The matter again gained significant traction in the House of Representatives when Hon. Festus Adefiranye moved a similar motion. Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, SAN, on his part, elected to approach the actualization of the said project from a different angle.”  

He said, “In ensuring the actualization of the project, Senator Adegbonmire played a critical role in ensuring that the project moved beyond legislative discussions to actualization. As a member of the Appropriation Committee of the Senate, he had the strategic leverage to lobby for the necessary funding.  

“Understanding the fiscal constraints involved in executing a project of this magnitude, he held the view that a phased funding approach would be the best option. This would entail first getting the design for the project funded and then lobbying for the project to be funded through a special intervention fund. This strategy, in his opinion, would ensure that the financial commitment required for the project was sustainable and achievable.  

“Senator Adegbonmire, in pursuance of this strategy, made direct appeals through official correspondence to key decision-makers.”