Mr. Tunji Akinosi, the House of Representatives member for Ado-Odo/Ota federal constituency, announced on Tuesday that he has allocated N700 million to tackle the dire state of several schools within his constituency.
This significant investment stems from the N1 billion zonal intervention fund approved for lawmakers by President Bola Tinubu last December.
Lauding President Tinubu for increasing the zonal intervention fund from its previous N200 million to N1 billion, Akinosi emphasized that this substantial increase has enabled him to deliver more impactful projects for his constituents.
Akinosi made these disclosures during a stakeholders’ engagement held in Ota, designed to foster interaction with members of his constituency.
He further explained that despite considerable development interventions from both federal and state governments, the sheer geographical size of the Ado-Odo/Ota constituency, when compared to smaller constituencies, often creates a perception that insufficient progress is being made in its socio-economic development.
“Although our job is to make law, we have what is called capital project inclusion, which is supposed to be our zonal intervention fund, which before now was N200m.
“However, in December 2024, we told our Oga, President Bola Tinubu, that with the fund accruing to the Federal Government after subsidy removal that the President should help to increase the Zonal intervention fund, and I am pleased to inform you that the money has been increased from N200m to N1bn.
“And aside from other needs of our people, we have equally gone round to find out that the starting point for our young ones, that is, our primary and secondary schools, are in dire need of assistance.
“Yes, there had been assistance from both the federal and the state government, but given the size of our federal constituency, which is more than the size of three constituencies altogether, there is still a lot of ground to cover.
“Unfortunately, it is the same amount of money collected by this small constituency that is also given to ours, which is bigger, and that is why we are still having challenges with our schools.
“However, from the N1bn we are being given, we have put N700m down for reconstruction and rehabilitation of our schools because expanding access to qualitative education to build a virile future for our youth is top on our minds,” the lawmaker said.
Akinosi highlighted his legislative efforts, including sponsoring four bills. Notably, one of these bills aims to establish a Federal Medical Centre at Atan-Ota to address the significant shortage of healthcare facilities in his federal constituency.
Listing his achievements over the past two years, Akinosi pointed to the construction of roads and renovation of schools.
He also mentioned providing financial grants ranging from N50,000 to N100,000 to over 2,000 people, and empowering another 2,000 with various trading tools, among other initiatives.
The lawmaker also urged Nigerians to maintain their trust in President Tinubu, explaining that the current administration’s economic reforms are well-intentioned and the country will soon reap their benefits.
During the stakeholders’ engagement, participants called on both the state and federal governments to grant special status to the federal constituency.
They argued this would help combat the alarming infrastructural deficit.
Stakeholders lamented the dire condition of roads, insufficient healthcare facilities, and other basic amenities, emphasizing that the constituency’s development has not reflected its status as the highest revenue-generating region for the state government.
Speaking at the engagement, themed “Expectations From Our Representatives,” Barr. Kelubia Ajose, Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, Ota, urged political office holders to prioritize good governance, as it was their primary electoral mandate.
Ajose pointed out the federal constituency’s limited socio-economic development despite its significant revenue contribution to the Ogun State government, pressing the lawmaker to advocate for a special status for the area.
Dr. Tokunbo Salako, a psychologist and former Student Union leader of the University of Ibadan, echoed concerns about the poor state of infrastructure. Salako asserted that the federal constituency, often described as “the hen laying the golden eggs,” deserves more government support to improve residents’ lives.
Oba Abdulkadir Obalanlege, professor and the Olota of Otta kingdom, praised Akinosi for prioritizing his campaign promises and urged other political office holders to prioritize service over personal gain for the betterment of the nation.
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