Ondo government pledges to complete Idanre golf course

The Ondo State Government on Tuesday said it would ensure the completion of the 18-hole golf course in Idanre, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, stated this when he paid an unscheduled visit to the golf course.

Yusuf-Ogunleye said the golf course, apart from boosting sporting activities, would help promote tourism in the state.

The commissioner dismissed speculations that the site was abandoned by the current administration, saying it was part of the responsibility of government to ensure that the golf course was put to use, even if through Public Private Partnership (PPP)

“In the last few days, there has been a lot of criticisms that Ondo State Government has abandoned this Golf Club by both online and the conventional media.

“As a responsible government, we make use of information to see what is next and we are here today to make sure that this edifice is not abandoned.

“If you took a look at it, during the past administration, this place was being handled by the Ministry of Arts and Culture and it was hurriedly commissioned by the last administration.

“You can see now that it has not been completed. No furniture, no maintenance culture put in place and it has not been handed over by the contractor.

“The contractor said he is being owed, the project has not been handed over to government, an edifice of this magnitude is underutilised,” he said.

Yusuf-Ogunleye, however, said the current government would not abandon the project ‘as government is a continuum.’

He added: “As a responsible government, ours is to ensure we put this place to use because the purpose is for tourist attraction and to ensure that government attention is here.”