Adeleke Vows to Bypass Fund Freeze, Ensure Osun Projects' Completion

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has declared that the protracted seizure of Local Government (LG) funds will not be allowed to stall the completion of critical infrastructure projects across the state. The governor made the commitment on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, during an inspection of ongoing works, including the Lagere Flyover in Ile-Ife.

Governor Adeleke accused the opposition of deliberately orchestrating the blockage of over N100 billion in state funds to frustrate his administration's development agenda. He stated that the deliberate withholding of the LG allocations was a political plot aimed at stopping the completion of projects like the Ile-Ife flyover and road dualisation projects in Ilesa, Iwo, and Ila Orangun.

The infrastructure upgrade, according to the governor, is an "unprecedented move" to modernise ancient towns and transform Ile-Ife into a major economic and tourism hub in the South-West region. Adeleke vowed that his administration would push ahead with all development projects, stressing that the will of the people for development would ultimately prevail over political sabotage.

The financial dispute, which has seen the Federal Government withhold LG allocations since earlier in 2025, stems from a conflict over the legality of local council leadership in the state. The Osun State government had filed a suit at the Supreme Court seeking the release of the withheld funds, though a separate suit against the CBN and AGF regarding the funds was recently withdrawn by the state.

The governor charged contractors and relevant state officials to accelerate work on the projects, warning that his administration would not tolerate substandard or abandoned work. He reiterated that the government remains committed to utilising state resources transparently to ensure that the "Osun money must serve the Osun people" mantra is fulfilled.