OSOPADEC: The Snoring Giant
By
Ade, AKINGBADE
22/1/2026On June 16, 2025, the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, inaugurated the new board of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC). During the inauguration, the Governor charged the chairman and members of the board to deliver on their mandate with diligence and integrity.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, who revealed that he had already assented to the Commission’s 2025 budget, noted that the newly passed OSOPADEC Bill would ensure regular oversight and accountability. He called on traditional rulers, youth groups, civil society organisations, and all stakeholders to cooperate with the board to accelerate development within the mandate areas.
One could vividly recall the Governor’s emphatic statement:
“This inauguration event is a bold statement that, under my administration, OSOPADEC will not only function but flourish.”
He further stressed that the Commission must deliver tangible results and bring about the long-desired transformation in the oil-producing communities.
“This occasion is not just a statutory obligation; it is a reaffirmation of our administration’s commitment to good governance, effective service delivery, and impactful development initiatives in the OSOPADEC mandate areas of Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government Areas.”
The Governor also announced a historic ₦33.8 billion budget for OSOPADEC in the 2025 fiscal year — the highest allocation ever for the Commission. He explained that the fund would be used to bridge critical infrastructure gaps and address the socio-economic challenges confronting the mandate areas.
Undoubtedly, the Governor meant every word and promise made on that historic day.
Many residents who travelled from Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government Areas to witness the swearing-in ceremony at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office returned home filled with renewed hope. They believed OSOPADEC was finally poised to roll out impactful programmes and projects.
However, seven months after, the Commission appears to be snoring. The people’s initial excitement has turned into deep disappointment and disillusionment.
So far, all that has been visible are photo opportunities, ceremonies, and empty rhetoric.
Contrary to the clear and unambiguous provisions of the OSOPADEC Amendment Law, 2024 and the Establishment Law, 2003 (Part II, Section 8[II][a], which stipulate that the Secretary shall serve as the Accounting Officer of the Commission, reliable information indicates that the new board — headed by Prince Biyi Poroye — is enmeshed in internal wrangling over who truly holds that position.
Ironically, the short period before the Governor announced the composition of the 12-member board seemed to yield more progress than what has been achieved since the inauguration.
Projects have moved from construction sites to Facebook timelines.
Since the inauguration of the present Board, all ongoing projects have stalled. Out of 21 schools approved for renovation, 15 were completed before the Board came in—the rest have been abandoned. Furniture supply to schools and security posts across several communities are on hold.
Over ₦5 billion in contracts awarded since October 2025—yet no contractor has been mobilized, despite claims in press releases.
Even the monthly welfare package for the aged and vulnerable has been suspended.
Governance is not a press release.
The people deserve action, not propaganda.Meanwhile, students awaiting bursary and scholarship disbursements, contractors eager to bid for projects, and residents yearning for accelerated development are not interested in bureaucratic power tussles over who signs cheques or payment schedules.
The Governor should kindly intervene and call the Commission’s management team to order before the rising sea incursions wash away what remains of the Ilaje communities- Aiyetoro, Awoye, and many more.
