In reaction to a recent interview conducted with a former Amuwo-Odofin chief of staff, Festaconline media reached out to the office of the executive chairman, Valentine Buraimoh to get his side.
Festaconline Media was able to access the chief press secretary , Mr Yomi Adejumo who we interviewed .
Please introduce yourself
My name is Yomi Adejumo, i am the chief press secretary of the Amuwo-Odofin LG.
Who is Mr Shobayo ?
Mr. Shobayo whose full name as known is Jimi Shobayo a.k.a Babaoba.
My first contact with him was in the Local Government, where I later learnt he was a friend to the administration because of his membership of the party who produced the candidate in power
What was his post at the LG ?
To the best of my knowledge, he held no official position or duty in the Amuwo Local Government Council.
Like earlier stated his prominence around the council Secretariat then was because of his friendship with the administration and the Executive Chairman of the Local Government.
So again let me reiterate clearly he was never at no time an officer of the LG in any capacity, Political or by Civil service
There has been rounds about the poor infrastructure in the LG especially Festac Town ? Can you shed more light on that please
What rounds. If I may ask. Where is your source of news. I ask this because it is germane to my response.
News can fly from the end of an opposition, who is only interested in maligning the good works of the administration.
Now let me assume, your question is coming from the wrongful insinuations made by Mr. Shobayo in his purported interview earlier published which is a lie and I will explain.
The newly rehabilitated Abule-Ado primary school is an infrastructure that makes up the total of 114 classrooms across 19 schools that was rehabilitated by this administration to provide an enabling and conducive environment of learning for our pupils.
That particular school is the only public primary school in that community, and have been in a sorry state under four previous administration of the local government.
The leadership of this current administration, my principal, Engr. Dr. Valentine Buraimoh changed the narrative and Abule-Ado now has a beautiful school.
The newly renovated primary health center in Abule-Ado and Ituagan riverine is another example of infrastructure.
Mile 2 has been left out because the State Government has adopted the health center for renovation since 2019. Engr. Valentine has communicated severally to the ministry in charge to expedite actions. That is why you see that no physical work by the LG has been done there.
Yet he has continued to provide medic supply for Mile 2 PHC and other PHCs across the local government.
Late last year, in partnership with the LG by private business interest, medic supply’s from bed, equipment’s were handed over to the officer in charge.
Again on infrastructure, roads like Agidimo, Aroso Market road, 4th Avenue, 23rd by 2nd avenue, Festac link axis etc are all infrastructural projects embarked upon by the administration.
Now an Ultramodern PHC at the Secretariat is almost at the completion state. There is a newly constructed blocks of Staff office in Abule-Ado, industrial borehole to generate twenty thousand liters of water daily for the riverine area was sunk by this administration are this not infrastructural projects?
Let me say here again, if your question is informed by Jimi Shobayo’s attempt to malign this administration, then please know that he is simply trying to get back at the Executive Chairman because he openly disengaged every form of fellowship with him and the administration.
You want to know why? He on several occasion usurped the executive powers of the Chairman to extort money from residents in pretense that he is acting in the interest of the administration.
One of which is to go about the LG saying and I quote “I am a senior officer in the administration, the Chief of Staff”
So can you then tell us who the current chief of staff is?
The only Chief of Staff this administration have is Pa. James Layeni. I personally think it is unfair for Jimi Shobayo to impersonate the office when there is a sitting office.
If I were in the shoes of the Executive Chairman, I would have stopped at publicly disengaging myself from him, I would have gone ahead to have him arrested and prosecuted for impersonation.
But unfortunately I am not, and I respect the decision of the Valentine Buriamoh to always try to approach decision making always by upholding peace.
On this note I want to say the question of who is now or currently the Chief of Staff should not have been asked as the administration has only had one Chief of Staff.
There has been complaints about the terrible state of roads in the LG especially Festac Town, What does the LG have to say on this ?
This administration inherited roads that have long expired by lifespan of 30 to 40 years across the LGA particularly in Festac.
Yet resources on top priority basis have been pushed to rehabilitating these roads with limited resourced as stated.
The LG is not only to attend to road rehabilitation, there are other areas of the government that require attention such as Education, Poverty alleviation, skill acquisition, health, job creation and staff salaries.
All these sector draw from the limited resources available, so though roads are priority for the Mayor, and he is doing everything to alleviate the sufferings of motorist, but he must also attend to other areas.
It is important to mention here that Amuwo-Odofin doesn’t enjoy the support of the State to repair roads in Festac.
There has been comparison between the administration of Comrade Adewale and Engr. Buraimoh, what are your thoughts on this
My thoughts you ask, my thinking I will give. Now please note this is my personal thinking as a resident and a stakeholder;
Many of us have forgotten that the achievements of the last administration was midwifed by the current crop of people in the present administration.
We have also forgotten that in the early years of the past administration resources were available four times more that this present administration. And I will explain.
The last administration aside the monthly allocation from the Federal government, all the money that was confiscated by the Obasanjo regime, Late President Musa Yaradua returned to the LG. Please do the mathematics.
How much that will amount to, and also do this reflection, what percentage of this amount of money did the local government get in terms of infrastructural development, so much so to again amount to the administration leaving a debt of over 700 million naira to be serviced by the present administration.
Permit me to say the impersonating Chief of Staff, Mr. Jimi is very much in the know of this, you can go and verify from him.
Lastly then ask this golden question, if the former Chairman is in the shoes of this current chairman what would he be doing? There is no basis for comparison.
Everybody is playing is cards according to what Providence has dealt them, full stop.
What has the current administration improved on in the healthcare sector here in Amuwo ?
In the health sector, the administration is already doing a lot like I earlier mentioned.
- About to complete the Ultramodern primary health center
- Renovated the primary health centers across the LG.
- financed free fibroid surgery for 30 indigents across the LG.
- provided utility vehicle for health departments to mitigate the spread of Covid-19
- Organized several medical missions. All this claims are verifiable
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recruited several medical personnel to work at the PHCs, Amuwo-Odofin has the largest record of personnel in the health department.
What measures has Valentine Buraimoh led admin implemented in regards to insecurity in our community, Amuwo
You know you yourself can’t say that. Amuwo-Odofin across the state was the only local government that experienced peace during the End SARS protest.
You think the hoodlums didn’t try to gain entry? You think they weren’t interested in burning our police stations and local government Secretariat.
Of course they were, But the security structure which includes capacity building and positive engagement of young people by the current administration was our saving grace. Youths rose in defense of their Community. Valo made this happen.
Insecurity is not again a problem with the Local Government.
This administration makes it a priority to properly engage all security institutions across the LG and even New SUVs were procured for the police etc.
Why does the current LG administration allow anyone to sell on walkway and even park cars on walkways.
The Local Government does not permit anyone to sell on walkways. But may I reveal to you the singular person to be held accountable for this practice, is Mr. Jimi Shobayo, before the administration severed it’s relationship with him publicly.
Mr Jimi Shobayo, impersonating as Chief of Staff was the one giving people right to sell on walkways in exchange for money.
A typical example was when I accosted the gentle man selling cars right before diamond Bank on second avenue on why he is breaking the law by trading on the walkway, the man quickly brought out a handwritten note and signed by Jimi Shobayo to do his trade on the bicycle lane for a fee of 160k.
The letter did not even come on the LGs letter head and
Unfortunately this unwholesome activity had quickly eaten deep before the Mayor had to publicly disassociate himself from Jimi Shobayo.
However, the Environment Task force is systemically getting this abnormality arrested. And very soon you would notice the changes.