IBADAN (CONVERSEER) – The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), Oyo State Chapter, has condemned the recent approval of N77 billion by the state government for the upgrade of the Government House and airport, describing it as a gross display of insensitivity and a misplacement of priority amidst worsening economic hardship.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, 19th June 2025, and signed by Ayodeji Adigun, State Secretary of SPN, the party criticised the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration for allocating N63 billion for the renovation and expansion of the Government House and an additional N14 billion for upgrading the state’s airport.
The SPN argued that the approved projects do not reflect the urgent needs of the people and are being executed at a time when the majority of Oyo State residents are facing rising food prices, mass unemployment, and collapsing public services in education, healthcare, and agriculture.
“This combined N77 billion allocation, coming at a time when the vast majority of the working people in the state are groaning under the weight of an unprecedented economic hardship, is a clear display of gross insensitivity and a disgraceful misplacement of priorities,” the statement read.
The party claimed that the move further highlighted the disconnect between the Makinde-led administration and the suffering masses, insisting that the funds should instead be channelled towards essential services such as public education, healthcare, and agriculture under a democratically controlled public works programme.
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“It is particularly disheartening that, despite the loud propaganda and grandstanding around ‘free education,’ Oyo State’s public education sector remains largely in a poor state,” the party added, noting the dilapidated infrastructure and lack of teaching materials in public schools.
On healthcare, SPN said many public facilities in the state remain poorly staffed and equipped, leaving residents with no option but to seek private care or alternative spiritual treatments that may be exploitative and dangerous. The party also decried the continued neglect of the agricultural sector, despite the government’s access to over N7 billion in loans meant to revitalise it.
According to SPN, the Government House is adequately equipped and does not require any further expansion at this time, while any airport upgrade should be subject to public debate and scrutiny to determine its necessity and affordability.
“Indeed, given the numerous experiences with past governors, across the country, towards the end of their terms in office, it is not out of place to suspect that this outrageous spending at this stage is a smokescreen for a parting loot from the state’s coffers,” the statement alleged.
The SPN, therefore, called on the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and other stakeholders in the labour movement not to remain silent but to resist what it termed a wasteful allocation. The party also urged civil society organisations, student bodies, market associations, and youth groups to unite in demanding a redirection of the funds toward pressing public needs.
In its closing remarks, SPN reaffirmed its commitment to building a government truly accountable to the masses, guided by a socialist programme. It called on the people of Oyo State and beyond to support the party’s mission to replace the current “anti-poor, pro-capitalist” government with a people-centred alternative.