Former Governor laments as he commissions Lagos liaison office

Says: “I personally designed the lodge to my taste but now another person will enjoy it” Those that knew Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala before last month’s governorship election that he lost in Oyo State will attest

to the fact that he used to be a very cheerful man. He used to be in the best of moods especially at public functions.

Things have, however, changed drastically since he was unable to break the jinx of any governor ruling Oyo State for two terms.

Unknowingly, Alao-Akala had embarked on projects meant to give him comfort in an elusive second term. He had to commission one of such projects, the state’s liaison office located at Oduduwa Crescent, Ikeja, Lagos yesterday.

However, during the commissioning, he looked at the gigantic governor’s lodge from the ground floor and shook his head. When his aides beckoned on him to perform the traditional inspection of the facilities there, he declined, saying: “I personally designed the lodge to my taste but now another person will enjoy it.”

The Oyo State Government VIP Rest House and Liaison Office.

It was like the supporters of the governor noticed his mood and decided to cheer him up when one of the praise singers announced that he should not worry because he would either be appointed the Minister of Defence or that of Police Affairs because he was the first governor to show public support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s ambition during the campaign. This forced a smile from the governor and an applause from the audience.

The building which is part of a complex constructed by the Western Region Government and shared to Oyo State now has the main building (governor’s lodge, an administrative building, the staff quarters and a complete new 15-room guest charlets.

Alao-Akala disclosed that contract for the upgrading of the deteriorated building was initially awarded at over N147 million but was revised to over N170 million to allow for the provision of additional facilities such as a transformer, sound proof generators, overhead steel water tower and construction of detached power control room among others.

According to him,  the implementation of the project was considered necessary not only to provide liaison services for the friends of Oyo State in and around Lagos but also to make the presence of Oyo State better felt by a larger concentration of its indigenes in Lagos.

He charged the incoming administration not to allow the infrastructure put in place to decay but should rather be properly maintained to justify the huge amount of money expended on them.

source; VANGUARD NEWS