APC challenges PDP over World Bank rating
From Fisayo Akinduro, Osogbo
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Two major political parties in Osun state, the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), are on each other’s throats over the world bank assessment performance of the state government.
World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Africa Region, Rachid Banmessaoud, in a Commendable Performance Letter, addressed to the state government declared Osun the best performing state in Nigeria. The state also emerged the best among the participating states in Nigeria in the World Bank Rural Access and Mobility Project 2 (RAMP 2).
The state chapter of the APC in a statement challenged the PDP for disproving the World Bank’s assessment that the APC-led government’s performance was the best in Nigeria. The party’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, asserted that; “if the PDP cannot produce evidence to contradict the World Bank’s assessment, then the party and its chairman should hide their heads in shame.”
The party noted that nothing can be more dishonorable than the recklessness with which the PDP had been spreading outright falsehood and misleading propaganda against the APC government in the last eight years.
“So pervasive had been the PDP propaganda and lies that it virtually created a negative impression across the country that Osun was being plundered and misgoverned by the APC
“Today, however, to the utter shame and disgrace of the PDP, the World Bank has declared Osun the best performing state in Nigeria on Rural Access and Mobility Projects. Besides, the Bank singled out the state as a strong performer on project implementation in the country. The fact speaks for itself.
“The question now is, who do we want to believe, the World Bank with credible data or the PDP and Adagunodo who have a notoriety for lies and criminally misleading propaganda?” the APC asked. “We dare the PDP and its Chairman to produce facts and figures to prove the World Bank wrong.” The APC however told the PDP that, “if it cannot contradict the World Bank, it should have the dignity to apologize to the country for its irresponsible conduct of misleading the public about what has been happening in this state,” the APC concluded.
The PDP State’s Chairman, Mr. Soji Adagunodo described the rating of the APC administration under Governor Oyetola as unorthodox, unacceptable and fraudulent. He insisted that if the governor wants to be genuinely rated, he should sample people’s opinions from Igbona and Oja’ba Markets in Osogbo, Owode and Oja Timi markets in Ede, Akinola market in Ife North, Oja Titun in Ile-Ife and Atakumosa market in Ilesa and among others.
