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Category: Inside Bisi Akande’s Autobiography

Bisi Akande's Autobiography

  • ‘Africa must embrace knowledge economy’

    ‘Africa must embrace knowledge economy’

    Obichi PitchLab Fellowship has begun its inaugural programme with 55 researchers from 31 universities in Nigeria and six African nations in a renewed push to reposition student research as a driver of Africa’s development.

    It brings together participants at different academic levels, including 25 undergraduates, three Master’s students and a PhD candidate, cutting across diverse fields of study.

    Speaking at the opening, Founder, Dr. Obichi Obiajunwa, said Africa must transition from a resource-dependent model to a knowledge-driven economy, stressing that student research should not be seen as a mere academic requirement.

    “The time to end student projects as means of fulfilling graduation criteria has come. Africa must  rise into a knowledge-driven economy. The days of depending solely on natural resources – unrefined, unredefined and unrepurposed, should be over,” he said.

    He said the fellowship will bridge the gap between academic research and real-world by equipping students with mentorship, funding and strategic guidance to translate ideas into viable solutions.

    Obiajunwa noted that participants will be mentored by seasoned professionals, with monthly catalytic grants provided to support experimentation, validation and early-stage product development.

    Some participants have already showcased research with strong development potential.

    Read Also: ‘Nigeria ready for front seat in global economy’

    According to a final- year Microbiology student, Mutiyat Akanji, at Obafemi Awolowo University, said her work focuses on addressing Africa’s agricultural waste challenge through biotechnology.

    “Africa has an abundance of agricultural waste but lacks cost-effective and sustainable recovery methods. My research discovered a ‘biological engine’ using indigenous African bacteria to break down rigid waste and convert it into microbial lipid, a sustainable feedstock for biodiesel,” she said.

    A graduate of Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, Mustapha Yusuf, said he  is working on a Patient Medical Record System aimed at improving healthcare delivery through better data management.

    “This project is close to my heart because it aims to streamline healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes. The Category A placement reflects its strong viability, relevance and value-creation potential,” Yusuf said.

    Beyond research outputs, participants say the fellowship is already shaping their personal and professional growth.

    With its maiden cohort now underway, the Obichi PitchLab Fellowship is positioning itself as a catalyst for change, challenging conventional approaches to student research and nurturing a new generation of African innovators capable of converting knowledge into sustainable social and economic value.

  • SNAPSONG 273

    SNAPSONG 273

    Random Snaps

    Let us start this week’s song

         By counting the lurid colours

    Of Okigbo’s “painted harmonies”

        And the riveting magic of their endless music

     Dance through the streets

         To Ojaide’s drum

    Tall like the leaping tonalities

         Of his Children of Iroko

     Countless reeds in the tide

         Of Bekederemo’s relentless Delta

    The prescience of the paddle which fore-

         Told the proverb of the pen

     One canoe-length from Okara’s Nun 

         Whose ravaged water crawls towards the sea

    Its fish oil-fried, belly-up, aloud with imprecations

         At cannibal oil riggers and their looting acts

    Read Also: APC clears Peter Obi’s polling units as early results trickle in

     Bundles of dissident sticks,

         Ofeimun’s “new brooms”

    Went to work in the marketplace

         A clean covenant in their patriotic ardour

     When Ogundipe prompted us to

         Sew the old days  

    She rallied every thread in the ancestral spool

         And the loom which ensured our robe

    * In order of appearance in this poem, references to Christopher Okigbo, Tanure Ojaide, JP Clark-Bekederemo, Gabriel Okara, Odia Ofeimun, Molara Ogundipe-Leslie.

  • Ajulo dismisses allegations of contract racketeering in Ondo

    Ajulo dismisses allegations of contract racketeering in Ondo

    Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, , has dismissed as “laughable” allegations linking him to contract racketeering in the Judicial Village Project, describing the claims as a smear campaign targeted at his rising profile.

    The petition, reportedly filed by the Movement for the Redemption of Ondo State (MROS), had alleged that the Attorney General was involved in irregularities tied to the controversial project. Reacting to the allegation, Ajulo said the petitioners displayed a poor understanding of governance processes in the state.

    READ ALSO; BBNaija and the evolution of Nigeria’s entertainment industry

    His words:  “The execution and supervision of capital projects, including judiciary-related building infrastructure, fall strictly under the Ministry of Infrastructure,” he said.

    “As Attorney General, my role is to promote and defend initiatives that strengthen the justice sector, not to award or supervise contracts.”

    He further explained the distinction between the judiciary and the Ministry of Justice, saying: “The writer did not know the difference between Judiciary and Ministry of Justice. The Judiciary is an arm of government headed by the Chief Judge, while the Ministry of Justice is one of the ministries under the Executive. There’s no execution of such building contract at our ministry,” he said.

    Since assuming office, it was learnt that  Ajulo has earned recognition for spearheading justice sector reforms.

    Checks revealed that  his notable contributions include: Mobilizing over 273 volunteer senior and junior lawyers to provide free legal support to Ondo State; driving reforms to reduce case delays and make justice more accessible, strengthening institutional accountability in the Ministry of Justice;enhancing collaboration between the judiciary, executive, and security agencies and mentoring young lawyers and creating platforms for their professional development.

    Before joining the Ondo State cabinet, one of his allies said  Ajulo ran a successful legal practice in Abuja, representing both high-net-worth individuals and international clients. He said he left this lucrative career to return home in service to his state.

    “At the national level, his commitment to legal practice remains visible. He is a respected figure in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and currently serves as Chairman of the NBA Mentorship Committee, where he plays a pivotal role in grooming the next generation of Nigerian lawyers.

    “He  also has a history of political engagement, having served as National Secretary of the Labour Party 15 years ago—a role he later resigned voluntarily to concentrate on his professional career.”

    The ally argued that the latest attempt to link Ajulo to corruption reflects envy over his close working relationship with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the reforms he has championed. “Just last week, another civil society group warned of a coordinated plot to smear Ajulo and some government officials over alleged contract scams.

     “History will remember Dr. Ajulo kindly because he chose service to his people over personal gain. That decision alone speaks louder than any smear campaign.”

  • Otuaro seeks partnership of NCTC to sustain Niger Delta peace 

    Otuaro seeks partnership of NCTC to sustain Niger Delta peace 

    The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has sought the collaboration  of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) to sustain the peace and security initiatives of PAP for Niger Delta stability. 

    Speaking when he paid a courtesy visit to the National Coordinator of the NCTC, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, in Abuja at the weekend, the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, said the partnership of the centre would help deepen the programme’s ongoing peace and security process in the region.

    Otuaro, in a statement issued by his special assistant on media, Igoniko Oduma, said his administration would be delighted to collaborate with the NCTC, which is also under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), to make the region safer.

    He noted that a peaceful Niger Delta would guarantee increase in Nigeria’s oil output and improve the economic wellbeing of the country in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

    Otuaro said: “We want to work with you. This visit is aimed at seeking support and partnership with the NCTC under the ONSA structure to make the Niger Delta a very safe place, and to continue to see that oil production increases for the benefit of the country.

    “We must make sure that there is sustainable peace and security in the Niger Delta. We are also determined to use the opportunities available for the PAP Office to ensure that vulnerable Niger Deltans and impacted communities are touched positively.

    “We will continue to play our role to support the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration and Nigeria to safeguard the future of the country.”

    The PAP boss lauded the NCTC for the effective tackling of security issues, stressing that the centre had recorded significant successes.

    Earlier, the National Coordinator of the NCTC, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, said that the centre was working tirelessly for the peace and security of the nation.

    Laka thanked the PAP administrator for the visit and his desire for the centre to partner with the programme for the peace, security and stability of the Niger Delta region.

  • Some people invited killer herdsmen to destabilise my administration, Alia alleges

    Some people invited killer herdsmen to destabilise my administration, Alia alleges

    Benue Governor  Hyacinth  Alia has alleged that some people in the State invited killer herdsmen from Niger Republic destabilise his administration.

    The Governor however didn’t mention those who invited the herdsmen. Benue has witnessed an influx of herdsmen recently with deadly attacks across the State. 

    The Governor vowed to resist any attempt to frustrate his administration, stressing he would not tolerate any effort from any quarters aimed at destabilising the peace of the State.

    According to him: “I’m quite saddened to speak about what some fellow Benue citizens are doing.

    “What they are planting, planning, and executing is not in favor of the State.

    “The security report has revealed that some Benue people in the State have gone out of their way to invite herdsmen from Niger Republic to troop into Benue State.

    “All in the name of bringing down this administration and this is unacceptable but the security agents are doing their work.

    “Security apparatuses are doing their work and those who would be found guilty of this will not go unpunished. This is not the Benue we prayed for. The electioneering period is over and now is governance.”

    The Governor spoke after  a service at the Chapel of Grace, Government House Makurdi.

    Alia appealed to the people to remain calm, saying that the security agencies are ready to ensure the safety of all and sundry.

  • Akande: How ex-minister Bola Ige was killed

    Akande: How ex-minister Bola Ige was killed

    Elder statesman Chief Bisi Akande has recounted how Chief Bola Ige was killed.

    The late Ige was the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Ige was shot dead in his Ibadan, Oyo State capital, residence on December 23, 2001.

    Akande, who was Osun State governor at the time, recalled in his book ‘My Participations’ the circumstances in which Ige was killed.

    He wrote: “As was his custom, Ige was preparing to spend the Christmas with his people in Esa-Oke where he held the traditional title of Asiwaju (leader).

    “He would normally hold a feast on Boxing Day, December 26, and all of us his friends would join him to celebrate.

    “That day would be an open house and all members of the Esa-Oke community would troop to Ige’s expansive compound.

    “So, by the time Ige entered Ibadan, preparation for Christmas at Esa-Oke was in top gear.

    “Most of his personal staff, especially those in the kitchen, had moved to Esa-Oke to await his arrival.

    “Instead of going to Esa-Oke, Uncle Bola decided to spend the night in Ibadan.

    Read Also: Bola Ige: My altercation with Obasanjo, by Akande

    “He went to his junior brother, Sir Dele Ige, to have dinner and then, retired home.

    “His wife, Atinuke was waiting for him. As soon as he got home, his security details and personal staff, learning that they would not be travelling to Esa-Oke again, went out to look for dinner at a nearby restaurant as soon as they dropped their boss.

    “Shortly after they left, some gunmen invaded the Ige residence.

    “The house was at the end of the street. Behind it was a swamp of an undeveloped bush that terminated in a dead-end.

    “They overpowered the only gateman who had been working with Uncle Bola before he took up the ministerial appointment with Obasanjo and marched him upstairs.

    “All the doors were opened and they soon accosted their quarry in his bedroom.

    “There, they shot him and fled. His wife, who was with him, was locked up in the toilet.

    “Muyiwa came in shortly and discovered the horror.”

  • ‘Monarch accused me of being too stingy with money’

    ‘Monarch accused me of being too stingy with money’

    As governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande had problems with the immediate past Ooni of Ife, Oba Okuade Sijuwade, and the Owa-Obokun of Ijeshaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran.

    Akande, in his book, ‘My Participations’, said the late Sijuwade wanted him to plunge the state into debt by taking a loan for a water project the Oba had an
    interest in.

    He also said Oba Aromolaran was always saying bad things about him because of his belief that he was stingy.

    “I was not surprised that most of the obas did not want to associate with the Owa-Obokun, His Majesty, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran.

    “One day he came to me to complain that he had no car. I told him that Osun State had no money now to buy cars for traditional rulers.

    “But his pestering was too much and I secretly sent money to him to buy a car.

    “I went to meet him at his palace in Ilesha and told him that he should use the money I sent to buy a car. He then called Lere Adebayo.

    “He wanted to know how much of the money he should return to me! Lere then told him, ‘Don’t try that with Akande o! Ajemonu tie niyen!!’

    “Maybe that was the practice before my time. A few weeks after that incident, the Commissioner of Police was changed and the new man was touring the state and when he got to Ilesha, the Owa called him aside.

    “He told the CP that the only person he should be careful of within the state was Governor Akande. ‘He is too stingy with money,’ Kabiyesi said. The Commissioner of Police reported to me.

    “So one day the Owa came again to report to me Mr Niran Fajuke, the chairman of the local government in Ilesha. He complained that Fajuke was not taking good care of him.

    “I accused him, saying, ‘Baba, you too are not sometimes a nice person. Even after I gave you money secretly to buy a car, you still told the new Commissioner of Police that I was dangerous and stingy!’

    “On another day, I met Owa alongside Rauf Aregbesola in Bola Tinubu’s house at Bourdillon and tried to warn Aregbesola to be careful with Owa Aromolaran. Among the Obas and chiefs, the Owa seemed unpopular,” he said.

    He said the Owa had a long-standing grudge against Ooni Sijuwade who wanted to dominate the entire space.

    READ ALSO: Chief Bisi Akande’s bomb of a book

    “Ooni wanted to make an entourage of the smaller obas with a view to tormenting the Owa and other obas who might be opposed to him. He would give them money.

    “What worried me with bringing the smaller obas into the Council of Obas to make them have an equal ranking with the other paramount rulers was that it might undermine the age-old tradition of the Yoruba people.

    “As far as my government was concerned, only three obas were paramount in Osun State: The Ooni, the Orangun and the Owa,” he said.

    Akande added that when his old boss at BP, the Ajalorunof Ijebu-Ife, Ogun State, wanted to honour him with the traditional title of Jagunmolu Oodua, the late Ooni opposed it.

    “He wrote him a letter insisting that he being the Arole Oodua, was the only one who could confer a title with the word ‘Oodua’ as part of its name.

    “He warned that if Oba Oguntayo should go ahead he would incur the wrath of the Yoruba deities. The Ajalorun wisely went ahead and I received the title. The Ajalorun has been waxing stronger since then.

    “The Ajalorun is one of the most ancient of Yoruba traditional thrones and like all other leading obas, the throne originated from the House of Oduduwa in lle-Ife.

    “Indeed, Ijebu-Ife is regarded as a replica of the old Ile-Ife. But the problem I had with the Ooni was more serious and graver and it also had to do with money,” he said.

    He explained that the late Ooni wanted him to renew the Ede-Osogbo Waterworks which was to be repaired with $300 million.
    He refused to sanction the deal.

  • ‘I told Obasanjo he must be out of his mind when he blamed me for Ige’s murder’

    ‘I told Obasanjo he must be out of his mind when he blamed me for Ige’s murder’

    A former Osun State Governor Chief Bisi Akande has relived his confrontation with ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo when Chief Bola Ige (SAN) was murdered while serving as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

    Akande, in his autobiography ‘My Participations’ said he had just returned from the United Kingdom when he was told of the murder.

    According to him, the Obasanjo administration was not really interested in finding the killers.

    Akande quoted Obasanjo as saying: “Now, you see the lapses in your security! Look at what happened to Bola Ige!”

    Akande said he was enraged and screamed at Obasanjo on the phone of the then commissioner of police: ‘You must be out of your mind Mr President!

    “How can you say lapses in my security when Bola Ige was killed in Ibadan? I rule in Osun State! I am not the Governor of Oyo State!

    “When his cap was removed at the Ife palace during your wife’s chieftaincy ceremony, what did you do about it?”

    He added that Obasanjo cut the line and few minutes later called back on his own line.

    “He started sermonising. You know that Bola Ige too was my friend! What happened was very unfortunate!”

    He also relived how he heard of the incident: “In the evening of December 23, 2001, I returned from a trip to the United Kingdom.

    “I was met at the Murtala International Airport by a team of top officials from Osun State, including my Attorney General, Dr Yemi Adedeji and Sola Akinwumi, the SSG.

    Read Also: Akande: I’ve never seen anything genuine in Obasanjo

    “I drove in my car with Akinwumi and we headed for Osogbo. We took the old road from Ibadan, passing Iwo to Osogbo.

    “We had passed Iwo and getting close to Osogbo when Akinwumi’s phone rang. Muyiwa Ige was on the other end.

    “Akinwumi was just shouting Ah! Ah! Ah!! Then, the line went off. ‘Uncle Bola has been killed!’ Akinwumi announced flatly when he finally gathered himself.

    “I was in shock! I did not know what to do. For the second time in my life, I had suddenly become an orphan again.

    “Ige was more than a political mentor to me. He was my uncle, my friend, my confidant.

    “His loyalty was total and his love was deep and profound. For me, he was irreplaceable.”

    He went on: “When we arrived at the Government House, I gathered my entourage together and broke the tragic news to them.

    “There was an uproar – groaning and moaning and general confusion. Someone suggested we should pray.

    “We bowed down our heads and prayed. By the time the prayer ended, I noticed that the Commissioner of Police was now with us.

    “He had walked into the centre gingerly and was now standing close to me. Before we greeted, his phone started ringing. He gave me the phone.

    “It was President Obasanjo on the other end.

    It occurred to me that what concerned the President more was not to arrest the assassins of his friend, but to prevent social unrest and calm the nerves of the populace.

    “I told him we would take all necessary measures to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

    “I sent messages to traditional rulers and other leaders that night…”

  • Akande: I’ve never seen anything genuine in Obasanjo

    Akande: I’ve never seen anything genuine in Obasanjo

    A former Osun State Governor and first National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief Bisi Akande has said he has never seen anything genuine in ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Akande, in his book, ‘My Participations’, narrated several instances of Obasanjo’s alleged attempts to bring him down.

    He added that even after he had been rigged out in 2003, Obasanjo did not relent in his effort to bring him closer to himself for the purpose of rubbishing him.

    Akande said during the centenary celebration of the Baptist Church in Abeokuta, Obasanjo announced that he was “an example of a prudent and honest governor”.

    “He said I was the most credible. That didn’t make me to have a change of opinion about Obasanjo.

    “I have never seen anything genuine about him despite his self-glorification,” Akande wrote.

    He claimed the ex-president’s nationalism and patriotism were fake, adding that his ambition to be the centre of Nigeria’s universe made him express constant hatred for the late Obafemi Awolowo.

    “It was this vaunting ambition that made him express constant hatred to the most altruistic and selfless leader of our time, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    “He continues to wonder till tomorrow why the Yoruba people, especially after his tour of duty as a two-time President, continue to elevate Awolowo to the highest pedestal while they have no respect for him. So, he would wonder to his grave!

    “In his detestations for Awolowo, he is ruled by a virulent inferiority complex, believing that he needed to do everything to supplant the greatness of Awolowo or undermine his legacies.

    Read Also: Oyinlola: I’ve details of how Akande financed his reelection

    “That was why he launched the Universal Basic Education in 1978, knowing that free education would be the core of Awolowo programme for the Second Republic.

    “That was also why he continued in this line during his two-term disastrous presidency.

    “For the reason that I was not dancing to his tune, Obasanjo did everything to depress and discredit my government and undermine us in Osun state.

    “Indeed, he wanted my government to collapse and once I had problem with Omisore, he adopted him as a willing tool and railroaded him into the Senate despite his detention for the assassination of Bola Ige,” he wrote.

    He accused Obasanjo of ordering that Osun State should be short-paid by N216 million monthly from the Federal Allocation.

    “At the beginning, we were earning about N150 million when our salary bill was about N260 million.

    “Suddenly, the price of crude oil was rising and the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) was back in the account.

    “So instead, of our own income to move from N150 to N300 million, we were experiencing reduction.

    “Suddenly also, they decided deducting N216 million from our allocation.

    “We went to the Budget Office in Abuja to find out why they were making the deductions and we were told it was ‘order from above,’ meaning they were acting on a directive from the Presidency.

    “My finance commissioner, in frustration, advised that perhaps we should bribe them. I said “No”.

    “I wanted to know what the cause of this order from above was but we didn’t find out anything. They did this for a few other states too.

    “They claimed they were deducting for some inexplicable international debts.

    “But I came to know the sinister motive when Oyinlola became governor and they paid the arrears of the deductions to his government,” Akande added in the autobiography.

  • How I built my house, by Adebanjo

    How I built my house, by Adebanjo

    By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Editor and Toba Adedeji, Osogbo

    • Afenifere leader: I won’t sue Akande

    • Oyinlola denies allegations

    Afenifere Acting Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has said he will not take former Osun State Governor Bisi Akande to court over his comments about him in his book, My Participations.

    But the elder statesman denied that his Lekki house, which is a bone of contention between him and Akande, was built for him by the All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

    Also, Akande’s predecessor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who denied the allegations against him, alleged that Akande financed his 2003 re-election bid by collecting part-payment from the contractor building the Governor’s Office.

    Oyinlola, who is also a former Lagos State military administrator, said he had warned Akande against creating a wedge between himself and his former deputy, Chief Iyiola Omisore.

    The retired Brigadier-General said his own autobiography will answer Akande’s allegations against him.

    Also, Adebanjo told reporters in Lagos that three years ago, when he launched his book, titled: Saying It As It Is, Tinubu described him as an incorruptible person and man of great character.

    Read Also; Inside Bisi Akande’s Autobiography

    The Afenifere leader urged the anti-graft agency to probe how Akande built his houses at Ila, his home town in Osun State, and Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    He said: “No intention to sue. The allegations and my responses are now before the public.”

    The elder statesman said he built his house from his sweat, adding that he also sold his landed property, including the land given to him by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to build the Lekki house.

    Adebanjo added: “I hereby authorise the EFCC to verify the facts.”

    The Afenifere leader said he has no reason to ask for money from Asiwaju Tinubu after he left office since he never demanded such from him before he became governor.

    Describing Akande’s allegations as “malicious falsehood”, Adebanjo challenged the former Osun State governor to disclose how he got his own property as he had done.

    According to him, Akande “is a neophyte, a beneficiary of a struggle he never took part in”.

    Giving details of how he built his house, Adebanjo said: “I deny the lie propagated by Akande. I wish to state categorically that my house at Lekki was built with my resources through the sale of three developed properties, loan from GTBank and the sale of undeveloped landed property given me by my former leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, of blessed memory.”

    Oyinlola, in a statement in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, maintained that Akande accused him wrongly.

    He said: “On the Osun State Governor’s Office (Bola Ige House) contract, Chief Akande said I wrongly accused him of corruption in the construction of the Governor’s Office. I did not level any false charges against him. I came into office in May 2003 and discovered that the Governor’s Office complex, which Akande commissioned for use after he lost the election, was not completed.

    “The state government asked the contractor to come back to the site and complete the works; more so when evidence in government accounts showed that he had been paid. But the project consultant shocked everyone with his claim that part of the payment was taken back to finance the 2003 re-election bid of Chief Akande.”

    He added: “The consultant said the contractor could not go back to work unless he was paid his full dues. One of Akande’s appointees confessed collecting money from this contractor for Akande’s re-election.

    “I consulted Chief Akande on this. He denied having any deal with the contractor and the consultant. Some people were subsequently taken to court on a seven-count criminal charge. Stakeholders in the state and Alhaji Arisekola Alao later intervened. I have the details of who collected how much in my forthcoming book…”

    Oyinlola alleged that Akande made N800 million advance payments to contractors in his last days in office, despite complaining that there was no money to pay workers and pensioners, leading to mass retrenchment.

    “Chief Akande wrote on the Government House that he wanted to build on a site on Ilesa Road in Osogbo, which I stopped. I found it strange that Chief Akande, who boasted that he was prudent and honest as governor, awarded the construction of a Government House in his last days in office, after he lost the election and in advance paid the contractors the entire contract sum of N800 million. Chief Akande confirmed this strange payment on page 393 of his book.

    “This was a man who said there was no money to pay workers and pensioners, but he had enough to pay a contractor in advance for a Government House after losing his re-election. In any case, the state already had an ongoing Government House started by the military government, which Akande refused to complete.

    “I completed the project and added chalets plus a presidential lodge. Everything was completed and commissioned within my first year in office. The state has continued to use the structures till date.”