Adeleke probes $106m Ilesa water project, suspends consultant

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, yesterday, ordered a probe into the $106 million Ilesa water project, over the slow pace of work for a decade.

The governor also ordered the immediate suspension of the Consultant for the project, Tawa Williams, a former special assistant to former governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Aregbesola, during the inauguration of the N48.7 billion water project in December 2017, disclosed that the project will be completed in 24 months and that the 60,000 cubic metres will supply water to Ilesa town and its environs.

However, the governor, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, stated that despite the reported disbursement of N10 billion and another $28 million, the project has not shown any commensurate development.

The Governor’s directive was a sequel to the interim report of the State’s Assets Recovery Committee chaired by Dr Basiru Salami which made recommendations for immediate action to stop the further squandering of loans secured to execute the Water Project.

The statement reads: “My administration will dig into this matter with all seriousness. The huge funds in question are loans to be repaid. We have a sacred duty to ensure accountability and transparency in the handling of the fund and the project.

“So far, a total of $27.073 million has been expended from the IDB loan of $65 million, leaving a balance of the sum of $37.926 million.