How Gov Abiodun failed to deliver 2021 promises

Ogun state governor, Dapo Abiodun has woefully failed to bring to reality some of the promises he made to the people of Ogun State during his New Year broadcast in the year 2021, Top Naija reports.

It is on record that Gov Abiodun made a number of promises at the beginning of last year.

Some of the promises were fulfilled, while others are yet to see the light of the day.

As the people of Ogun went into 2021, Governor Abiodun had promised Ogun residents that they would be provided identification cards.

According to him, the State government would commence the implementation of the Residents Identification Cards, with the main aim of providing a reliable database for those living in the State.

However, 12 months after he made the announcement, the government failed to achieve the implementation of the residents identification cards.

After January 1, 2021, there was no mention of the project by the Abiodun administration throughout the year

The governor also promised to launch the Ogun Health Insurance Scheme before the first quarter of 2021, but checks by our correspondent revealed that the scheme is yet to commence as of December 31, 2021.

In September, the Ogun Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, had at a stakeholders’ meeting with trade and artisan Union’s and associations in Abeokuta, urged them to support the Ogun health insurance scheme.

At the meeting, Coker had promised again that the scheme would be unveiled for the informal sector before the end of the year 2021.

“With this scheme, ordinary residents of the state will be able to access quality care for about 250 diseases without having to pay out-of-pocket,” Coker explained, adding that those insured would be able to access care for malaria, diabetes, antenatal and postnatal care, and common childhood diseases as well as screening for cancers that are peculiar to Nigerians.

But, as of the last day of the year, the scheme, which Abiodun said had been provided with N100miliion seed fund, has not been launched.

During a meeting with CDA Chairmen in Ogun in November, Coker described as unfortunate the lagging behind of Ogun State in the implementation of the health insurance scheme, saying a good number of states in the country had commenced it since 2018.

Also, Abiodun promised that the second phase of 150 units of houses at the Prince Court Estate, Kemta, Abeokuta and other housing projects at Kobape, Sagamu, Ilaro, Ota, Ijebu-Ode and Iperu, would be completed in 2021.

While the housing estates at Kobape and Kemta are visible to the blind, those of Sagamu, Ilaro, Ota, Ijebu-Ode and Iperu are yet either uncompleted or yet to be started.

Meanwhile, the State government has fulfilled its promise to launch the Ogun State Amotekun Corps in Yewa, as promised in 2021.

In his reaction, the Ogun State Commissioner for Information, Waheed Odusile, said the projects were ongoing.

Odusile, speaking with journalists in a telephone conversation, did not deny that the government failed to fulfil the promises.

However, he alleged mischief, saying journalists should do their work diligently.

Speaking about the housing projects, Odusile retorted, “Have we stopped work on those projects? As a reporter, you must do less of mischief and be objective. Have we stopped work on those projects? We are working on those projects. Work has not stopped. That means we are working towards completion.

“If you say they have not been completed, but work has not stopped. Work will continue on those projects. In fact, a good number of them are very close to completion, that I know. That we have not completed them does not mean we are not working to complete them.”

On the health insurance scheme, the Information Commissioner maintained that, “we’d have launched it about two weeks ago, but there was another program. It will be launched in the first week of this year. People are already enrolling for that health insurance scheme. We have got a number of enrollment for the health insurance scheme.”

Odusile said he did not have enough information about the Residents Identification Cards, saying, “I will have to find out about that. I don’t have update on that now.”

In 2018, the Cable Newspaper alleged that Abiodun was involved in certificate forgery.

As a result of the Pandora Papers leaks, the Premium Times reported on Abiodun’s involvement in two offshore companies known tax haven, the British Virgin Islands.

The report noted that Abiodun owned and was the sole director of both Marlowes Trading Corporation and Heyden Petroleum Limited in apparent violation of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act as neither company was declared when Abiodun was elected Governor. Abiodun himself avoided questions on the topic but an associate of Abiodun claimed that the governor had meant to dissolve the companies but didn’t notice that they had not been dissolved yet