Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has escalated his public feud with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, demanding the immediate return of ₦30 billion in federal intervention funds to the national treasury. Fayose insisted on Thursday that the money, intended for victims of the January 2024 Bodija explosion, should be returned alongside accrued interest totalling ₦4.5 billion.
The demand follows a heated exchange where Fayose accused the Oyo State administration of concealing the receipt of a massive relief package from the Federal Government. While Fayose initially claimed the state received ₦50 billion, Governor Makinde countered that only ₦30 billion was disbursed, with the remaining ₦20 billion withheld by federal agencies.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Femi Philips, Fayose argued that since the Oyo State government admitted the ₦30 billion has remained unspent in a bank account for roughly 18 months, it should be surrendered. He calculated that at a 10 per cent interest rate, the idle funds should have generated billions in returns that belong to the public.
"Since Governor Makinde has admitted to keeping the ₦30 billion in a bank since 2024 without deploying it, the Oyo State Government should return the money to the Federal Government to ensure it benefits the intended victims," Fayose stated. He added that the federal government possesses the necessary mechanisms to directly support the explosion victims if the state remains "unwilling to act".
Fayose further alleged that the lack of transparency regarding the funds was a strategic move to "save" money for Makinde’s rumoured 2027 political ambitions. He challenged the governor’s integrity, suggesting that the public only became aware of the money because he "blew the whistle" on the transaction during a recent television appearance.
The Oyo State Government has defended its handling of the funds, asserting that the money is "intact and untouched" in a dedicated infrastructure account. Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, explained that the state has already spent ₦24.6 billion of its own resources on reconstruction and victim compensation while waiting for the full ₦50 billion federal commitment to be fulfilled.
"The Oyo State Government has deliberately refrained from utilising the ₦30 billion already released in recognition of the fact that the remaining ₦20 billion has remained withheld," Oyelade said in a New Year’s Day statement. He noted that the state is hesitant to begin a comprehensive project that it cannot finish without the promised balance.
The Bodija explosion, which occurred on January 16, 2024, resulted in several deaths, dozens of injuries, and the destruction of over 50 homes. While the legal and political battle over the relief funds intensifies, survivors in the affected Ibadan neighbourhood continue to wait for the final resolution of the reconstruction efforts.
