Ogun State Government in hot seat over citing a letter dated February 1, 2025 from Hon. Adewunmi Onanuga, who died weeks earlier

Ogun State Government is facing fresh scrutiny after its defence of a controversial road project suspension was undermined by a glaring factual gaffe.

In a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Tayo Mabeweje, the government claimed that former federal lawmaker, Hon. Adewunmi Onanuga, had written a letter dated February 1, 2025, seeking approval to undertake rural road construction in Simawa, Ilara and Irolu.

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The problem is that Hon. Onanuga tragically passed away on January 15, 2025, two weeks before the purported letter was signed.

The reference has raised eyebrows among residents, political observers and civil society groups, with many questioning how such a discrepancy made its way into an official government communication.

Earlier, the commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ade Akinsanya, had defended the suspension of road works on the Paddy-Arikawe Oye, Igbimo Road, dismissing reports that the action was politically motivated.

He insisted that the halt was consistent with the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning Law (2005) and the operational guidelines of the Ogun State Public Works Agency.

According to him, the contractor, Minim and Tonye Nigeria Limited, was directed to pause work until proper clearance was obtained from the ministry, noting that “the law is clear” and that “no physical development, including roads, can proceed without state approval.”

But the statement’s attempt at citing precedent has now backfired.

The invocation of a February 1, 2025 letter from the late Onanuga has fuelled public scepticism about the credibility of the government’s narrative.

Critics argue that if such a basic fact was overlooked, it casts doubt on other aspects of the government’s explanation.

Civil society advocates have already seized on the blunder, calling for transparency and accountability.

“This is beyond politics. It is about factual accuracy. If the government can mistakenly attribute an action to someone who is no longer alive, then all claims in that statement deserve re-examination,” one analyst pointed out.

The commissioner had earlier emphasised that the Igbimo road had been captured in the state’s rehabilitation programme and that suspension was to ensure proper coordination, not to frustrate development.

He also likened the procedure to Ogun’s own interventions on federal roads, where state authorities must first obtain clearance from Abuja.

Despite those clarifications, the focus has now shifted firmly to the Onanuga gaffe.

Analysts say the development risks eroding public trust at a time when infrastructure delivery and political goodwill are crucial.

The government insists no project has been cancelled, only suspended pending compliance with the law. But unless it addresses the Onanuga letter controversy head-on, critics warn that the narrative of due process could be drowned out by suspicions of misinformation.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.