Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde's plan to renovate the Agodi Government House with a staggering N63.5 billion has triggered widespread mixed reactions and condemnation. Despite the governor's justification of the high cost due to foreign exchange instability, opposition parties and citizens alike are decrying the project as a "misplaced priority" amidst deepening economic hardship, highlighting the significant Glass Walls, Broken Trust cast over public funds.
- Governor Seyi Makinde plans a N63.5 billion renovation for the Agodi Government House, a colonial-era edifice.
- Makinde attributed the high cost to foreign exchange instability, noting how a 200millionWorldBankloan′sNairavalueforfloodmanagementescalatedfromN70bn(at N350/) to N320bn (at N1,540/$) since 2019.
- The project includes reconstructing buildings, roads, and ancillary facilities within the Government House and adjoining chalets.
- Major opposition parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), along with APC chieftain Engineer Hakeem Oyedele Alao, have condemned the plan.
- Critics labeled the decision as "profligacy, insensitivity and impunity," arguing it's an extravagant expenditure amid widespread economic distress.
- They pointed out that the 2025 budget prioritizes infrastructure (N152bn), education (N145bn), and health (N59bn), not luxury renovations or proposed aircraft for security surveillance.
Sources: Dailypost
