The Oyo State Government has clarified that Governor Seyi Makinde did not make a public announcement regarding the N30 billion intervention fund received from the Federal Government after the January 2024 Bodija explosion. This explanation was provided by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, who stated that such special intervention funds are subject to the budgeting process and do not require public disclosure upon receipt.
The N30 billion, released by the Federal Government in November 2024, remains in a designated bank account, awaiting the disbursement of the outstanding N20 billion from the total N50 billion approved for the reconstruction of Old Bodija and surrounding areas.
This clarification follows comments from former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, who suggested in a television interview that the Federal Government had provided financial support to Governor Makinde for the victims of the explosion, challenging him to account for the N50 billion allocated.
In response, Makinde’s media aide, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, confirmed that although the entire intervention fund was approved at N50 billion, only N30 billion was released. Oyelade further explained that this amount remains untouched and is held in the Oyo State Government Infrastructure Support Account with FirstBank of Nigeria since its release.
The state government opted not to use the released funds, recognizing that the remaining N20 billion has not been released by federal agencies without any official explanation. “Given the questionable actions of the Federal Government regarding this approval, we believe our cautious approach to utilizing the funds is prudent,” Oyelade stated.
He reiterated that the Oyo State government is dedicated to securing the remaining approved funds to address the extensive damage caused by the explosion, which affected both public infrastructure and private properties.
Background information indicates that following the January 16, 2024 explosion in Bodija, Governor Makinde reached out to President Bola Tinubu on January 19, requesting federal assistance to manage the post-disaster situation. The governor detailed immediate actions taken by the state, including search-and-rescue operations, medical support for injured victims, and housing for displaced individuals.
Although the estimated cost for a comprehensive intervention was around N100 billion, the President approved only N50 billion for reconstruction. The funds were released nearly a year after the disaster, in November 2024, yet the state government had already committed N24.6 billion from its own resources to address the crisis.
Documents from the Federal Government indicated that a total of N915.5 billion was allocated to various states as intervention funds, with Oyo State receiving one of the lowest amounts despite the severity of the incident.
Oyelade emphasized that special intervention funds are typically received as capital grants and must go through the budgeting process before any spending occurs, explaining why states receiving larger amounts did not publicly announce their receipt.
The Oyo State government maintains that it has nothing to conceal and will continue to engage transparently with the public on this and other matters, while thanking residents for their understanding amidst rumors driven by “desperate political actors” attempting to profit politically from the Bodija tragedy.
