The dark truth behind Seyi Makinde’s flood project cancellation

The Ibadan Flood Management Project (IUFMP) has 3 objectives:

2. The past Ajimobi government secured a $200m World Bank credit after the devastating August 26, 2011 flooding that led to massive loss of lives and property.

The World Bank lays down very stringent conditions for administering the project funds. Ajimobi government had successfully delivered 25% before its exit.

The Seyi Makinde government was to oversee the 2nd tranche of projects, according to World Bank guidelines, to ensure:

3. What did the Seyi Makinde government do wrong?

A. After the project evaluation;

Committee, including the foremost Engineering body in Nigeria, had carried out a transparent evaluation and recommended the best contractors at best cost.

The Seyi Makinde government manipulated the recommendations before submitting to the World Bank and:

I. Changed the names of recommended contractors.

II. They inflated the transparently recommended project cost by over several billions.

Lots 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B of the IUFMP/ICB/1/2020

The projects manipulated are 3A, 3B and 4B…

4. The foremost Engineering body that was part of the project evaluation committee was the first to raise the alarm to the World Bank.

They begged that their name not be used to perfect a monumental fraud, as the Seyi Makinde government had fraudulently changed the recommendations of the project evaluation committee and passed it to the World Bank as that signed off by the committee.

The World Bank investigated the fraud and advised the government that contractors and project costs could not be manipulated outside of transparent and open project evaluation committee recommendations, but the Seyi Makinde government was adamant that it had to be their contractors and at their inflated cost.

The recent PR by Makinde is playing to the gallery and just covering their fraudulent act. It is much more than a case of undue interference by the OYSG.

This is not about politics.

What they have done is to jeopardise the lives and security of people in Oyo state.

If you have been warned of flashfloods by NIMET and you have a well-oiled collaboration in place with the World Bank, throwing such away whether via action or inactions, is no different from endangering the very lives of those you are meant to lead.

The World Bank doesn’t take knee-jerk decisions, they had been writing to warn them of these inferences but no attention was paid. Now the chicken has come home to roost.

Logical to note that this process isn’t rocket science as shown by the last administration. Governor Ajimobi, his Finance Commissioner, the Project Steering Committee and the IUFMP Project Team managed the project and got many letters of commendation from the World Bank.

Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP) is a World Bank-assisted project established and secured by the former Executive Governor of Oyo state, His Excellency Senator Ishaq Abiola Ajimobi to respond to the issues of flooding that the state had been experiencing.

The Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project is a legacy to Oyo State and is meant to continue irrespective of government in power or political party. This is not about politics, but about the life of the people of Oyo State.

We have all documents to support all that has been narrated above, including original and manipulated company names and contract figures.

However, greed, avarice, intent to engage in fraudulent practices, won’t allow this current administration do the right thing.

The big question is: Where will this government go from here?

Babajide Fadoju is the team lead at Illumination Communications. He writes from Ibadan.

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