Ode-Ajagba… haven of abandoned projects

In 2019, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration decided to establish four Bioresource Development Centres (BIODEC) across the country. Ilesa, Osun State, Enugu State, Igede, Ekiti State and Ode-Ajagba, Ondo State were selected as project sites with yearly budgetary allocation approved for takeoff and subsequent operations.

BIODEC is established under the National Biotechnology Development Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, to render services such as environmental biotechnology and bio-conservation, genetics genomics, bioinformatics, and medical biotechnology.

Other mandates of the institute include agricultural biotechnology, bio-entrepreneurship and extension services with a broad mission to make biotechnology an engine of growth for socio-economic development. It is also envisioned, as enshrined in the Biotechnology Policy approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on April 23, 2001, to be “Promoting biotechnology activities that positively respond to national aspirations on food security, job/wealth creation, affordable healthcare delivery and sustainable environment.”

When the news of its choice as one of the four sites for the BIODEC institutes filtered in, Ode-Ajagba went into frenzy. Residents, in the belief that the much-sought dividends of democracy were finally locating them, leapt for joy. While savouring the ‘good news,’ it also came to residents’ knowledge that a general hospital was to be built in the community about a year ago. The hospital, it was said, would offer basic healthcare to the teeming population and relieve some burden on the existing Model Primary Health Centre (PHC).

Ode-Ajagba is an agrarian Ikale community formerly administered alongside Ujuosun, Akotogbo and Iyansan under Benin Confederation, with several villages and hamlets, having over 100,000 residents under the kingship of Ahaba of Ode-Ajagba, Oba Oluwole Adesayo (JP). So, understandably, the combination of the two projects with the newly constructed ultra-modern Skill Acquisition Centre, a special project sponsored by the Office of the SSA to President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), was going to bring immense succor to residents of the community, they had thought.

The Guardian learnt specifically that many residents of Ode-Ajagba looked forward to the take-off of the projects with expectations that they would improve their livelihoods, boost the economic fortune and most importantly, reduce youth unemployment in the area.

But the joy of Ode-Ajagba people has been short-lived. Their hopes of democracy dividends seem to be mere castles in the air. This is because, today, both the Bioresource Development Centre (BIODEC) and Skills Acquisition Centre in Ode-Ajagba, Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State, lay in waste, seemingly abandoned and overgrown with weeds.

While the Skill Acquisition Centre has become an eye-sore, having been overgrown by weeds awaiting commissioning by the Presidency, the multi-million Naira BIODEC project, which has not been developed beyond foundation level, sits on an expanse of land ceded to the agency by the community along Iyansan Road, depriving the indigenes of a land hitherto used for farming with its other natural resources, including the beautiful River Omupan.

Similarly, some equipment meant for take-off of the hospital are rotting away. Mackintosh mattresses, 60 hospital beds, wheelchairs, stethoscopes and other numerous medical equipment delivered are at the mercy of the rain, sunshine and infesting termites.

Counting the losses to the community, the monarch, Oba Oluwole Adesayo, said that aside from ceding the community land for take-off of the project, he also gave his former palace, a huge edifice containing many apartments, for use as accommodation for staff of BIODEC, not minding the commercial loss to him.

Attempts to speak with BIODEC Coordinator in Ode-Ajagba, Mr Gabriel Olaifa, proved abortive. But sources told The Guardian that the four newly established centres failed to get off the ground due to the alleged internal racketeering by the immediate past Acting Director-General, Prof. Alex Akpa. They sources alleged that Prof. Akpa was involved in series of financial mismanagement of the agency, mainly due to his closeness to the Federal Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ogbonnaya Onu.

They further alleged that over N450m was approved to begin work on the site but the fund was misappropriated by a syndicate in the agency, which often times demanded kick-backs from contractors, thereby delaying the constructing works and grounding it at foundation stage.

According to the sources, the former Acting DG got into trouble due to several allegations leveled against him, ranging from gross abuse of office to misappropriation of public funds. This led to the appointment of a new Director-General, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, who resumed late last year.

Meanwhile, in the last quarter of year 2020, the residents of Ode-Ajagba woke up to see contractors rehabilitating the existing Model PHC, heightening fears that the idea of the much expected general hospital may be forgone.

In a letter, dated October 26, 2020, with Reference: OSSAP/SDGs/PROC/SPU/CAP/TB NO.2/OCT.20/SDGs PI/451, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), had awarded the contract to Messrs. Beaconfield Integrated Services Ltd. The SSAP-SDGs Head of Procument, Usman Shuaibu, in the said letter, noted that the contract was awarded for “SDGs 2020 SDGs Project for the rehabilitation of existing PHC construction of 2 No semi-detached doctors quarters and blockwall fence at Ajagba, Irele LGA, Ondo State.”

Shuaibu explained that it was approved at the Tenders Board meeting on October 21, 2020 at a total sum of N49, 995, 850. 50k only, inclusive of all taxes, with a completion period of 12 weeks from the
date of receipt of award letter.

A visit to the renovated health facility showed that the contract was shoddily executed and the environment was unkempt and untidy. Though the blockwall fence and doctors’ quarters were constructed and painted as stipulated in the contract document, the ambience, especially the frontal view was still littered with relics and debris from the construction work.

The construction, delivered under seven weeks, aroused the suspicion of residents, who accused the contractor and some persons in the Federal Government agency of conspiracy to short-change the community.

Oba Adesayo recounted how the news that a 60-bed general hospital had been approved for Ode-Ajagba community gladdened their hearts. “We have even got a befitting land for the hospital until sometime last year when people came here that they wanted to upgrade the PHC to hospital that would contain all the hospital materials already brought.”

According to him, two trailers were used to bring the hospital equipment to the palace. He affirmed that he took delivery of the items and took inventories through the assistance of some medical personnel who helped the community to identify the state-of-the-art medical tools. However, he said the community was disappointed to see only a contractor in December last year who said he had come to rehabilitate the PHC with two-bedroom apartment for doctors.

He said: “I was surprised and I asked the contractor, where will these doctors be working, is it the PHC? What of the hospital we are waiting for? He said that was what he was asked to build. The contractor came
without any supervising engineer, put up a building without any supervision and the surrounding very unsatisfactory. Now, he painted the existing ones there and re-roofed it.

“I phoned the contractor to ask of when he would finish it, he said he had finished it and it has been inspected by somebody from Abuja and nothing concerns me to query him. The premises is very shabby and not habitable.”

The visibly angry monarch suspected foul play in the renovation contract, alleging that, “Seriously, there is a shoddy deal in the N49.9m renovation contract awarded by the Presidency. Pointing to some items covered with tarpaulin in the open space of the palace, Oba Adesayo added that, “You can see, those are the beds. Other expensive equipment are occupying about three rooms in my quarters here. We hired a flat for the furniture to be packed there.”

Speaking on the BIODEC project, he lamented that, “For a very long time, they didn’t take off until 2019. Before then, some of their workers had been reporting here and I gave them a huge story building with many apartments and conference hall. I gave on hire to them. The contractor came to site, put a borehole there and laid the foundation of their offices, according to the building plan from their
head office in Abuja. The foundation was constructed to a DVC level. But after then, they left, nothing has been heard of them again.

“I tried to contact their former Director General in Abuja, he usually told me that they would start soonest. The site is now overgrown with weeds. We are scared that it won’t become an abandoned project,” he said.

The Ahaba of Ode-Ajagba pointed out that the Skill Acquisition Centre in the town had been completed for over 18 months, revealing that 60 sewing machines were also delivered in the palace as part of the empowerment and training tools for the unemployed youths. “The machines have also taken more than one quarter of my apartment here. But up till now, nothing has been done about putting the Centre to use. I always speak with the man in charge, Architect Taiwo, but he tells me that government has not given him time to commission the building and the scheme. The machines are there, rusting away. The building is there, being occupied by reptiles – snakes, lizards and rodents. I appeal to the Federal Government to utilise these laudable projects for the development of the people and nation at large,” he said.

The monarch blamed people in government, who have formed a cabal to undermine the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari at delivering dividends of democracy to the people, even at the grassroots. “I know our President has several developmental projects to deliver to Nigerians, but those who execute these projects are the ones destroying the good intentions of the President. I will continue to mention say that President Buhari has good intentions for us. Ode-Ajagba people are appealing to the President to assist in ensuring that the projects are put to use as planned for the benefit of the people.”