Showdown at Ota bridge commissioning
, Bankole, Daniel’s supporters clash
From Moshood Adebayo, Abeokuta and Uche Usim, Lagos
Friday, July 30, 2010


• Hon. Bankole and Gov. Daniel
Photo: Sun News Publishing
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The power play between Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, robbed the shine off the commissioning of the long-abandoned Sango-Ota bridge, in Ogun State yesterday, as the ceremony almost resulted in a bloody clash.

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo had awarded the contract for the construction of the bridge as part of the dualisation of the Ota-Abeokuta Road. The project was, however, not completed before Obasanjo left office in 2007. The bridge project was abandoned for many months, while residents of the area and travellers suffered untold hardship.

Hopes were, however, kindled late last year when the Speaker influenced the Federal Government to release funds and the contractors, Julius Berger, returned to complete the abandoned project.
The Speaker had also on several occasions visited the site, assuring the people that the project would be completed, while the residents grappled with bad adjoining roads, which the state government had also abandoned.

Apparently elated that he had scored a political victory with the Sango-Ota bridge, Bankole had issued a statement, announcing that the project would be inaugurated on Thursday.
Governor Daniel and the Minister of Works, Senator Sanusi Daggash had arrived the ceremony earlier than the Speaker and taken their seats not too far from the Olota of Ota, Oba Moshood Alani Oloyede.

No sooner had he taken his seat than the governor’s supporters, carrying placards of aspirants in the forthcoming elections, called on the governor to address them. Daniel, while addressing the gathering, made some scathing remarks about Bankole, but did not mention the Speaker’s name.
Amidst the hailing of the governor by his supporters, Bankole’s arrival at the venue also enlivened the area, as many residents hailed him for facilitating the completion of the abandoned bridge.
The Speaker was inspecting the project and trekking down to where the governor and the minister sat.

Then drama ensued as the minister and governor sighted the Speaker and hurriedly moved to commission the bridge without waiting for the Speaker to join them. Both Governor Daniel and Daggash, after the inauguration of the project, went straight into the waiting white Coaster bus, bearing the state government’s number plate. The Speaker, who was visibly disappointed at the action, forced his way to meet the governor amidst tight security, apparently to express his displeasure.

The development almost resulted in a bloody face-off between the governor and Speaker’s security guards and aides, while the guests scampered for safety. Immediate the Speaker disembarked from the governor’s bus after about three minutes tete-a-tete and headed for his official car, miscreants who had converged on the scene took advantage of the rowdy situation and began unleashing terror on the people.

There was pandemonium as guests and residents ran for their lives with the miscreants throwing chairs. When the scene became too rowdy, the Oba Oyede and other traditional rulers took to their heels with their chiefs. Meanwhile, the Federal Government has awarded the third phase of the bridge to Julius Berger despite the un-completed phase two of the project.
In his remarks, the minister apologized for the delay in the execution of the phase two, adding that the third phase would not be prolonged.

He stated that Julius Berger would complete the last aspect of the project within the next 15 months and described the project as economic infrastructure, which would enhance economic development of both Lagos and Ogun states. The Speaker, who arrived the Presidential lounge of the Lagos Airport in a convoy of cars, after the ceremony, looked slightly ruffled, and spoke on the incident before returning to Abuja. As he alighted, he went straight into the inner chamber to have some rest.

When he eventually spoke to Aviation correspondents, Bankole said there was no problem among himself, the works minister and Daniel, stressing that his desire was to ensure Ogun State enjoyed as much Federal Government support as possible. He also denied the rumour that he had threatened to sack the minister, adding, “ask him. He should tell you if it is true or not.

“There was no fracas in Ota, I cannot remember whether anything like that happened. We went to commission a bridge and that was all that happened. I did not see or witness any drama; we only commissioned a bridge; that is all I can remember.

“As an indigene of Ogun State, I am committed to seeing federal presence in the state. That is my commitment. I do not have powers to sack any minister. How can I do that? All I can tell you is that there was no drama and we commissioned a bridge, nothing less,” he explained.

Na wah o!

I wish Nigerian politicians had more respect for themselves.

Ota bridge: Bankole, Daniel, Daggash in hot exchange of words

ABEOKUTA—DECORUM was abandoned by public figures, yesterday, as the Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, Ogun State Governor, Olugbenga Daniel and the Minister of Works, Senator Sanusi Daggash, engaged themselves in war of words at the site of the opening of the Ota Bridge along the Lagos-Abeokuta Express Way.

The tension heightened at the scene, when Bankole, who got to Sango-Ota shortly before the bridge was commissioned by the Minister, noticed that the project inauguration exercise had been performed.

Immediately Daniel realised that Bankole was approaching the bridge, he stopped his address and stood up with the Minister to declare open the flyover.

Apparently disturbed by the turn of the event, Bankole moved to the white Coaster bus which conveyed both Daniel and Daggash, stopped the vehicle and went straight inside it.

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Daniel, in his speech, had told audience waiting for the commissioning that they should ensure that they allow Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, be aware that the flyover to be commissioned was not the project he was supposed to witness, adding that Bankole was there to make unnecessary movement for political reason.

Bankole went directly into the Coaster bus of the governor to prevent the driver from plying the bridge. Though what transpired among the Speaker, Governor and the Minister while inside the vehicle was not known to journalists but people began to take cover when aides of Bankole and Daniel almost engaged in a shooting spree.

A source close to the Ogun State government said that Bankole told the Minister: “So you have invited me here to embarrass me enh? So you have the guts to cut the tape before me? This will be your last assignment. Anyway, follow me.”

He reportedly turned to the governor and said: “Who the hell do you think you are? You have commissioned the bridge before my arrival, how can you do a thing like that?”

Dagash who cut the tape to commission the bridge was accompanied by Daniel and the Olota of Ota, Oba Moshood Oyede. The monarch who in company of his chiefs left the scene when the imbroglio started.

Daniel told the crowd that the project was the good work of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, adding: “The project was conceptualized and commenced by Obasanjo and we are happy that it was in his presence that the project is commissioned”.

Reacting to the drama, the Speaker said:”No, no, no. I wasn’t locked out of anywhere. A bridge was commissioned and that is what I want to say. There was no fracas among supporters. That one is what I want to assure you. No, there was no power play between me and anybody. I only had a discussion with the governor and the minister in the Coaster bus. I wasn’t late to the commissioning.

My interest is to make sure that there is Federal Government presence in Ogun State and that is what we managed to do by the government completing the Ota Bridge which was commissioned today. Apart from that, I am not really interested in any other thing that went on there. I am just glad that the commissioning was done and I am looking forward to more projects being commissioned in the state.”


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