UNESCO Did Not Fund Workers Drive Road Reconstruction- Commissioner
Osun State Government has debunked the statement allegedly credited to the former deputy governor of the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore and some people that the just commissioned 3km Workers Drive reconstruction was financed by UNESCO.
A release by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa in Osogbo Thursday described the statement as an attempt to misinform members of the public that the road was a baby of UNESCO.
Setting the record straight, the Commissioner said the reconstruction of the Olaiya-Odi-Olowo- Ita-Olookan road christained Workers Drive was financed by the Osun State Government.
According to him, the fund was sourced from the Omoluabi Infrastructure Conservation Fund adding that the Workers Drive is not Osun groove road, but the road that leads to Osun groove road.
“Governor Rauf Aregbesola had in March 2014 during the flag off of the road construction categorically declared that the fund for the commencement of construction of the road will be sourced from the Omoluabi Infrastructure Conservation Fund, with the help of the state House of Assembly”.
“This is the reason behind the commendation of members of the House of Assembly by Governor Aregbesola during the commissioning of the Workers Drive on Tuesday. He appreciated their legislative role in the finance of the project”.
UNESCO is not in any way involved in the finance of the project at all. It becomes imperative to state that rather than providing fund for the road, UNESCO had requested the government to re-work and change the course of the road that leads to Osun groove so as to retain its being a World Heritage Site. UNESCO made some other demands in this regard.
“As much as the government would not mind fulfilling the UNESCO requests, State Government of Osun does not have the financial wherewithal to so do now for obvious economic reasons”.
“Besides, it is a known fact that UNESCO as an organization do not give money for any counterpart project funding; rather, such is given in kind and not in cash as the debased personality of the impeached Deputy governor would want the people to believe”.
The Commissioner urged the people of the state to “disregard the lies and leave Omisore, and his co-mischief makers to their irresponsibility”.
