A fresh controversy has erupted between former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and the Senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, over the alleged misappropriation of a federal project in Abeokuta.
At the center of the dispute is a library project at Ewang Estate Extension, Abeokuta, which was facilitated by Senator Adeola.
However, concerns arose when a project board at the site bore the inscription: “Renovation of Ake Pavilion Roofing and other Facilities, Ogun State.” This led to allegations that funds allocated for the Ake Pavilion project were redirected to a different initiative.
Amosun’s Reaction: “Setting the Record Straight”
In a statement issued by his media office, Senator Amosun, through his aide Lanre Akinwale, disassociated himself from the library project, asserting that the Ake Pavilion initiative was his personal project and not a federally funded one.
“The Ake Pavilion project is Senator Amosun’s gift to the people of Abeokuta and is being single-handedly financed by him. The insinuation that a budget exists in the federal allocation for Ake Pavilion, which has now been diverted, raises serious concerns,” the statement read.
Providing further clarification, Amosun’s office detailed that the Ake Pavilion project, located at Ake Palace Ground, Abeokuta, was conceptualized in 2019 as a tourist attraction center during his tenure as governor. Construction began in 2020, after he left office, and was never part of his constituency projects during his time as Ogun Central Senator (2019-2023).
Amosun’s media team described the project as 95% complete, featuring a 3,000-capacity amphitheater, banquet halls, a museum showcasing the history of Abeokuta, shops for local crafts, and administrative blocks—all fully funded by the former governor.
While welcoming the facilitation of federal projects to Ogun State, Amosun’s camp stressed the importance of accurate representation and called on Senator Adeola to provide clarity on the Ewang Estate library project.
Adeola’s Response: “No Diversion Involved”
Reacting to Amosun’s claims, Senator Adeola, through his media adviser, Chief Kayode Odunaro, denied any wrongdoing, insisting that there was no case of project diversion.
“There is no diversion of funds as alleged. The inscription on the signboard includes ‘Renovation of Ake Pavilion Roofing and Other Facilities, Ogun State’, which means the funds were not restricted to the Ake Pavilion alone”.
“It could also cater to roads, schools, libraries, or any other infrastructure as determined by the relevant authorities,” Odunaro explained.
He acknowledged that appeals had been made to him by prominent Egba sons and daughters to intervene in the completion of Ake Pavilion. However, at the time of budgeting, he was unaware that the pavilion was Amosun’s personal project.
“Upon realizing that the Ake Pavilion was being privately financed by Senator Amosun, and since the budget had already been passed, we decided—alongside the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development—to channel the allocated funds into constructing a library at Ewang Estate Extension,” Adeola’s statement read.
He further defended the inscription on the signpost, explaining that it reflected the official budgetary documentation and was not an attempt to mislead the public.
Adeola, who is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, emphasized that his intervention in Ogun State’s development was not limited to the Ewang Estate library project, citing similar educational projects he had facilitated in Ijebu Ode and other locations.
Read full statements
Construction of Ake Pavilion Project by Senator Ibikunle Amosun
Setting The Records Straight
Our attention has been drawn to a Library construction project at the Ewang Estate Extension, Abeokuta, facilitated by Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (YAYI).
However, the project board erected at the site of the Library project has a different inscription, tagged, “Renovation of Ake Pavilion Roofing and other Facilities, Ogun State”.
What this simply connotes is that there is a budget in the Federal Appropriation for the Ake Pavilion project, which is being diverted to an entirely different project. Otherwise, how could the facilitator of the Library project inscribe a narration, entirely different from what he facilitated?
To set the record straight, the Library project in question has no connection to the ongoing construction of the Ake Pavilion project by Senator Ibikunle Amosun. The Ake Pavilion project is Senator Amosun’s gift to the entire people of Abeokuta, and it’s being single-handedly funded by him.
For the avoidance of doubt, there is only one Ake Pavilion Project, and it is located at the Ake Palace Ground, Abeokuta. The project was conceptualized and designed as a tourist attraction centre by Senator Ibikunle Amosun during the twilight of his administration as Governor in 2019. The actual construction of the multi-functional Ake Pavilion started in 2020, and the project was never part of his constituency projects when he served as Ogun Central Senator (2019-2023).
The Ake Pavilion project, which is 95 percent completed, contains an impressive 3,000-capacity Amphitheatre with an open performance area of about 3,000sqm, 3 Nos Banquet Halls of varying capacities ranging from 100 to 500, a Museum area showcasing the history of the four quarters (sections) of Abeokuta with shops for artefacts, books, Adire, administrative blocks, and other facilities, all financed by Senator Ibikunle Amosun through his personal resources.
While Senator Amosun welcomes the facilitation of Federal Government-funded projects to Ogun State, it is essential to ensure that such projects are done with sincerity and without misrepresenting facts. We advise Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola to provide accurate information to the people of Ogun State, especially Abeokuta, regarding the Library project he facilitated to Ewang Estate Extension.
Attached herewith are pictures of the project board as erected at the site of the Library project and the Ake Pavilion project as conceptualized and built by Senator Ibikunle Amosun, for ease of reference.
Lanre Akinwale
Senator Ibikunle Amosun Media Office
31 March, 2025
PRESS STATEMENT
NO DIVERSION INVOLVED IN AKE PAVILION AND LIBRARY PROJECT IN ABEOKUTA-SENATOR ADEOLA YAYI
The attention of Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West) and Chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriations has been drawn to a statement by Senator Ibikunle Amosun titled “ Construction of Ake Pavilion Project by Senator Ibikunle Amosun: Setting the Record Straight”, where it was implied that Senator Adeola diverted a project he facilitated for the renovation of Ake Pavilion to construction of a Library at Ewang Estate Extension in Abeokuta.
For the records, there is no case of diversion of project as insinuated based on the inscription on the signpost at the completed Library project. As stated in the statement of Senator Amosun, the inscription on the project is “Renovation of Ake Pavilion Roofing and Other Facilities, Ogun State”. For those not conversant with budgetary terminologies the wordings “and other facilities, Ogun State” shows that the project was NOT confined to Ake Pavilion alone. Indeed, it could include construction of roads, school, library etc in Ogun state as determined by the implementing agency and facilitator of the project in the budget based on availability of funds.
There was indeed, a budget inclusion for the renovation of Ake Pavilion following appeals to Senator Adeola from well meaning sons and daughters of Egbaland to complete the project that was seemingly abandoned for a period. What was not made known to Senator Adeola at the point of appeals was the fact that this was a personal project of Senator Amosun and his pledge to complete it in due course using his resources.
On realization of the involvement of Senator Amosun and the budget having been passed as stated in the project title, Senator Adeola shied away from taking any glory from Senator Amosun good gesture to his community and in conjunction with Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development decided on the construction of a Library in Ewang Estate Extension with the available funds released for the project.
Finally, there is nothing untoward in the inscription at the Library as that is what is contained in the ministry’s budget that was used to fund the project. It would have been otherwise if the signpost was placed at the Ake Pavilion under construction by Senator Amosun.
There is no need for wiping up controversy on what is meant for educational development of Ogun State as Senator Adeola has facilitated similar projects at Ijebu Ode and elsewhere in Ogun state.
Signed:
Chief Kayode Odunaro
Media Adviser to Senator Adeola
31st March, 2025
