Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke and the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday traded words over the recently unveiled N159 billion infrastructural plan by the former.

The APC told the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led administration to stop insulting the collective sensibilities of the people of the state with its new infrastructural plan, having failed to deliver on the previous plan of N100 billion infra plan.

But Adeleke contended that the opposition’s criticism was informed by its failure to bridge the state’s infrastructural deficit while in government.

APC’s spokesman in Osun State, Mr Kola Olabisi, said instead of making new promises, it would have been a tenable excuse if the government had resolved to focus on delivering the projects it already promised.

“In October 2023, Governor Adeleke announced plans to build infrastructure worth N100 billion without borrowing, boasting of completing five flyovers by the end of 2024,” Olabisi said.

“However, the flyovers in Okefia, Lameco, and Ile-Ife are facing significant challenges, missing their completion deadlines, and are now at risk of being abandoned, while nothing has been done at Ikirun and Owode locations of the touted projects.”

Responding, a spokesperson for Adeleke, Mr Olawale Rasheed dismissed, APC’s position, contending that only haters of development will fault the ongoing huge infrastructure developments and its potential socioeconomic benefits to the state.

According to him, “the recent criticism of Governor Adeleke’s infra agenda is a strong sign that the opposition is ashamed of its failure to bridge Osun infra deficit while in office, as well as its hypocritical blindness to delivery of democratic dividends by the current administration.

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Faulting the allegations from the opposition, he argued that the first phase of the infrastructure plan is between 70 to 80 percent completed across the sectors and that the second phase of N159 billion is achievable as a product of aspirations of communities listed in the various projects.

“It is only haters of the people that will deny the huge infra development ongoing across various parts of the state. Within the state capital alone, work has never stopped on Oke Fia and Lameco flyovers as can be attested to by the public. In fact, the phase of work is accelerating.

“The flyover at Ile Ife is progressing. The video and picture evidence are everywhere. The governor just inspected the Ilesa dualisation with contractors working day and night to deliver.

“The Oke Gada bridge is almost 90 percent completed while the dualisation of Old Garage-Oke Fia-Lameco road is completed.”