The Executive Chairman of Oluyole Local Government, Engr. Akeem Olatunji, has responded sharply to what he described as “a deliberate campaign of falsehood” surrounding the construction of the historic Mini Mapo Hall project in Idi-Ayunre.
He said his administration will continue to silence detractors with tangible accomplishments that directly benefit the people and not be swayed by the naysayers who he said have continued to play antagonistic politics while appearing as members of the PDP family.
He wondered what manner of politicians would assign to themselves the primary duty of pulling down a house they claimed to be part of stressing that anti party activities in Oluyole LG is taking a new dangerous turn that needed to be urgently checkmated before it is too late.
Olatunji, reacting to a publication on Saturday in an online news platform alleging that the construction of a mini Mapo Hall project was neither conceived nor funded by the local government, said such claims were the handiwork of individuals threatened by progress and desperate to undermine the council’s achievements under his leadership.
Olatunji maintained that contrary to the allegation of his detractors, he never claimed to own the project adding that he only used his office facilitate development partners and friends of the Council to make donations towards the actualization of the project.
He added that the Chairman of Oluyole Traditional Council who is now the Asipa Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Hamidu Ajiba had personally invited the Chairman of Solutions FM, Chief Taofeeq Adegoke, who made an impressive donation towards the project.
According to the report, some unnamed sources had alleged that the Mini Mapo Hall was originally an initiative of traditional rulers in Oluyole, conceived as far back as the reign of the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun.
The sources claimed that monarchs and community leaders had been gathering funds among themselves before Olatunji came into office, and accused the chairman of relocating the project from its original site to a “thick forest” for undisclosed reasons.
But Olatunji, in his reaction, dismissed the allegations as baseless, ill-conceived, and mischievous. He explained that the initiative had been long yearned for by the people of Oluyole and that his administration only made it a reality through proper coordination, planning, networking, and mobilization of resources through friends of the council.
He clarified that the initially proposed site for the project was not suitable enough for an edifice of such magnitude and as such, a better and more spacious place within the Council Secretariat at Idi-Ayunre was adopted for use.
“At least all the Obas and Baales, including His Royal Majesty, Oba Hamidu Ajibade, attested to the fact that I made it possible and also brought my friends to donate generously to the project which our people have been yearning for in the last 30 years,” Olatunji said.
The council boss noted that the construction of the Mini Mapo Hall represents a major step in his administration’s effort to blend heritage with infrastructural development.
The project, he said, was deliberately sited at the Oluyole Local Government Secretariat to make it centrally accessible to communities in Abala, Onigambari, Onipe, and Idi-Ayunre, among others.
“Those spreading lies to discredit our efforts are the same people who never believed that anything good could come out of Oluyole under this administration. But we’ve proven them wrong again and again. Our focus is on delivering more projects that will touch lives, not on engaging in needless distractions by some irrelevant political elements seeking relevance through the backdoor.”
The chairman reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that traditional institutions remain active partners in governance, and central to his administration as they’re in direct contact with the grassroots on day to day basis.
He stressed that the council’s collaboration with the Obas and Baales has always been one of mutual respect and shared vision for Oluyole’s development.
He urged residents to ignore divisive narratives and continue to support the government’s developmental agenda, promising that more people-oriented projects would soon follow.
“We’ll continue to shame our detractors not with words, but with results. The Mini Mapo Hall is just one of many legacies we’re building to honor our culture, our people, and our future,” Olatunji said.