The Senator representing Ondo Central Senatorial District in the House of Senate, Mr. Adeniyi Adegbonmire SAN, has reacted to the viral allegation by a socio-cultural group in Idanre, Makanre International Brothers (MIB), challenging him over paying scant attention to the plight of the community despite his visible contributions to other communities in the Senatorial District.
The president of the group, Dr. Ebenezer Akinsunlola JP, raised the allegations in a strong-worded statement addressed to the Senator on June 11, 2025. The statement reads:
“The people of Idanre are tired of being treated as second-class citizens within Ondo State Central Senatorial District. From broken roads to underfunded schools, inadequate healthcare facilities, lack of support for farmers and traders, and complete absence of federal presence, our community has been left behind in every critical area of development.”
“It is especially disheartening that our current senator, who was elected to represent all constituencies under Ondo Central, has shown little to no effort in addressing the plight of Idanre. While other parts of the district are witnessing pockets of federal projects or attention, Idanre continues to suffer from systemic neglect, with no visible federal constituency projects, no youth empowerment programs, and no serious engagement with community leaders.”
Speaking to the allegations in a telephone conversation with our correspondent on June 13, 2025, Adegbonmire stated unequivocally that no senator from the Senatorial District has surpassed his records of achievements in two years, in terms of the projects he has facilitated and those in the pipeline for the Idanre Local Government Area.
While denying the allegation that he had fully concentrated projects expected to go around the Senatorial District in Akure, his town of birth, he clarified that his moves on the FUTA Teaching Hospital and the formal appeal for the upgrade of FECA to a university were motivated by different factors.
According to him:
“It is a political statement. They should tell me anybody before me that has put any institution in Idanre. Go and fact-check. They should tell me if there is anyone who has put any institution in Idanre before me. They had House of Representatives members from Idanre town, they had senators. Which of them has tried putting any institution in Idanre? Right now, I am trying to get a federal road constructed in Idanre; I have done boreholes, solar lights. We are starting rehabilitation of primary schools; they should tell me whoever has done that in Idanre. These are political statements.”
“In the article I read, they claimed I established a Teaching Hospital in Akure and that I was only trying to put a Technical College in Idanre. And I ask them if there is anyone who has made that effort to establish any federal institution in Idanre apart from me. What Idanre people said I should do for them is what I am trying to do now, a federal road because Idanre does not have any federal road. They should tell me anybody that has done that. We started putting solar lights in Idanre; we are going to start the rehabilitation of primary schools very soon, in about two or three weeks. They should tell me anybody that has done what I have done in two years. I have been there for two years, and I know how much contributions I have made to various communities in Idanre. Those who have faulty transformers, those who want scholarships, and much more. That was why I said it is a political statement. I told them to compare my two years with others that have come before me if anybody has tried to put any federal institution in Idanre.”
In respect to the bill for the establishment of the Federal College of Vocational and Technical Studies, Idanre, Ondo State (Establishment) Bill seeing the light of day, he said:
“I don’t start what I cannot finish. I have made my consultations; it will be done, and they can write it down: in a few years’ time, it will be converted to a university. I know what I am doing; I don’t make empty promises. I challenged them to tell me the person who has done half of what I have done.”
“FUTA has Medicine and Surgery. One of the conditions to get MBBS is that one must spend some years in a Teaching Hospital; FUTA does not have a Teaching Hospital. Their students are already in year three; if they are the ones in year three and they cannot complete their course, will they be saying that? So we decided that FUTA must get a Teaching Hospital for the sake of the students. We had to temporarily partner with the Ondo State Government that gave them access to the Teaching Hospital in Akure so these people can qualify as doctors. If they are qualified as doctors, won’t they come and be treating Ondo State people? I didn’t cite FUTA in Akure.”
“They mentioned College of Agric; that College of Agric was started in 1951. It is the only College of Agric that was started in 1951 that is not a university today. The one in Kano is a university today; the one in the East is a university today. Why should our own be different? When it becomes a university, is it not going to be to the benefit of everyone in the State? They will employ people. Let us be realistic. I also didn’t establish the school of Agric in Akure. It was established in 1951 when I was not even born.”
“How can they turn around and say I am doing it because I am from Akure? Those two institutions were cited there a long time ago; FECA was established before my birth. It is wrong for someone to come and say I asked that the school be converted to a university because I am from Akure. The other colleges of Agric in the East and the North are now universities; why must ours be different?”
“I am the first senator to say a federal institution should be put in Idanre. Did they tell me before I did that? And I have had meetings with Chief Akinyelure on this matter to seek his support. I don’t just do things without doing proper planning.”
