OSUN: Gov Aregbesola, Dep Speaker Lasun ‘quarrel’ over who built bridge

A war of words seems to be brewing between the Osun state government under Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lasun Yussuff.

The brewing feud no doubt, is part of a build up by both camps to take control of the state’s politics, towards the 2018 governorship election in that state, as both camp are at daggers drawn, as to who gets the credit for a bridge that was recently constructed.

Each part is claiming to have been the one responsible for the designing and construction of the Ojutu Bridge along Erinle River on Osogbo /Ilobu /Ifon / Ogbomoso road in the State, and is calling the other camp liars for claiming the credit.

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During an interview on the state-owned Radio and Television Stations, a former commissioner Mr. Kolapo Alimi and a cabinet member nominee of Aregbesola, Engineer Nurudeen Adeagbo, Permanent Secretary, Osun State Ministry of Works and one Hon. Kamil Oyedele a member of State House of Assembly representing Irepodun/Orolu State Constituency, stated that the award of the “Ojutu bridge was facilitated by Aregbesola.

They debunked reports that the project came to life due to the handiwork of Lasun, as widely believed.

But addressing a press conference on Thursday, Dr. Aderemi Suleiman Ajala, Special adviser to Lasun Yussuff on Constituency Relations, described their assertions and the state government as “an indecent liar”.

According to him, “Yussuff, a Federal Honorable representing Irepodun /Orolu /Olorunda / Osogbo Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, Abuja, and the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, facilitated the project as one of the capital projects attached to his office as the Deputy Speaker.”

He went on to explain events that led to the construction of the bridge, as championed by the deputy speaker.

“The background to the construction of the bridge rests on Lasun’s belief that politics is an instrumentality of development. Hence, as soon as he became the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, on the 30th November 2015, Lasun wrote a letter (Ref: NASS/HR/DS/BNA/M5C/470), to the Hon. Minister of Works, Power and Housing, where he called the attention of the Hon. Minister to the deplorable condition of the said bridge and the need to design and construct a new bridge that could replace the existing narrow one that was about 102 years old”, he stated.

He also claimed that Lasun’s constituency Relation Office “is not interested in politicizing development”, but enjoined “some mischievous and malicious elements associated with the government of Osun State to desist from parading indecent lies in an attempt to glorify their dwindling images and political personalities”.

It would be recalled that the camp of Aregbesola, and Lasun had also clashed recently following the death of Senator Isiaka Adeleke, and the rumours that trailed his demise.

 

 

 

 

 

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