The Ondo State Executive Council has given its approval to a N3.69 billion contract for the upgrade and vertical enhancement of Chief Reuben Fasoranti Park, located directly opposite the Governor’s Office Complex in Alagbaka, Akure.
The approval was granted during the council’s first meeting of 2025, held on April 16.
According to an official circular obtained by SaharaReporters on Friday, from the Cabinet and Special Services Department, the contract was awarded to Rosco Resources Nigeria Limited and is expected to be completed within 12 months.
The project aims to transform the park into a modern, eco-friendly recreational hub as part of the state’s urban renewal initiative.
The contract, titled “Upgrading and Vertical Enhancement of Landscape of Chief Reuben Fasoranti Park,” was awarded at a sum of N3,687,989,927.78 (Three Billion, Six Hundred and Eighty-Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Nine Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Seven Naira, Seventy-Eight Kobo).
Payment for the project is tied to job performance milestones, and the contractor is required to confirm acceptance in writing within 14 days of the award notice.
However, the move has sparked public backlash amid complaints of widespread infrastructural decay, unpaid salaries, and increasing insecurity across the state.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that a separate contract, worth N8.168 billion, was approved at the same Executive Council meeting for the construction of 32 units of four-bedroom terrace residential buildings intended for cabinet members.
The contract was awarded to Cosgrave Investment Ltd., an Abuja-based firm, with an 18-month project timeline.
The project, described as a “Terrace Presidential Building” initiative, will be built in Akure and is overseen by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Lands, and Housing, in partnership with the Ministry of Lands and Housing.
The cost—N281 million per unit—has ignited further controversy, with critics arguing that the funds could instead be used to provide over 200 units of affordable housing for teachers, civil servants, and healthcare workers across the state’s 18 local government areas.
Several residents have accused Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration of misaligned priorities and a lack of transparency.
“This government operates like a secret cult,” said a political analyst in Akure. “There is no disclosure of the state’s IGR, FAAC allocations, or actual expenditures. Even the federal government gives monthly financial reports. Why not Ondo?”
Critics have pointed to several stalled infrastructure projects initiated by the previous administration, including Oda Road, Ijoka Road, and the Onyearugbulem Flyover, which remain abandoned. Meanwhile, the governor has reportedly begun groundwork on a 10-kilometre Akure-Okearo Road, though no cost or completion details have been released.
Public services are also said to be deteriorating. According to residents, shuttle buses in several local government areas (LGAs) are grounded due to poor maintenance.
Security operatives, including the Amotekun Corps and the police, are reportedly underfunded, despite steady inflows of federal allocations and security votes.
One resident asked, “What exactly is the governor doing with the monthly security vote?”
An empowerment programme that gave 1,000 women N35,000 each has been widely criticised as inadequate. “That amount doesn’t even cover basic household food needs for a month,” a resident said.
Amid growing concerns over fiscal management, some residents are calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the state’s financial dealings.
“With just two commissioners appointed so far and a cabinet yet to be fully constituted, it’s unclear who is really overseeing the state’s funds,” a resident said.
Repeated attempts to reach the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, for comment were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
