The constitutional responsibility of a lawmaker is primarily to make laws and sponsor bills that will have a meaningful impact on their constituents. In addition to their legislative duties, lawmakers are also expected to contribute significantly to the development and growth of their various constituencies. This is the primary reason why lawmakers at the local, state, and federal levels are entitled to constituency allowances.
Okeho and its surrounding communities in Kajola Local Government Area of Oyo State, under the Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa Federal Constituency and the Oyo North Senatorial District, have become home to numerous abandoned or underutilized constituency projects. With or without official commissioning, many of these projects have yet to offer any tangible benefits to the people. They remain inaccessible, locked away, and devoid of any meaningful contribution to community development.
On October 23, 2021, Senator AbdulFatai Buhari, the current senator representing Oyo North, laid the foundation for a 40-bed hospital in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Located along Isemi-Ile Road in Okeho, the hospital project was reportedly completed in April 2022. We have gathered that the facility has been fully equipped; however, it is yet to be operational or accessible to the public.
The time has come for this healthcare facility to start serving the people, especially now that Awoyemi Commercial High School is set to temporarily host the newly established Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Okeho (FUNATO). The hospital is situated directly opposite the temporary campus site, making it strategically positioned to serve both students and the general public. By equipping it further and deploying qualified medical professionals, this facility could significantly enhance the quality of healthcare in the area.
We strongly believe that Senator Fatai Buhari, having demonstrated commendable commitment to the FUNATO project that made it a reality, will take deliberate steps to ensure that the healthcare center he facilitated is made fully functional and accessible to the public.
It is worth recalling that in June 2022, newswings.com.ng reported several unutilized constituency projects scattered across Kajola Local Government Area. A prominent example is the large health center located at Isale-Alubo, facilitated by Senator Hosea Ayoola Agboola (popularly known as Halleluyah), who represented Oyo North Senatorial District during the 7th Senate (2011–2015). While that particular facility has since been repurposed as the Oyo State Chief Magistrate Court, Okeho, another project in Alaapa, also facilitated and commissioned by the same senator, remains non-functional and offers no benefit to the people.
Despite these past shortcomings, we remain hopeful. With the collaborative support of traditional rulers, the Council of Chiefs, intellectuals and scholars, private sector stakeholders, artisans, and everyday residents of the community, there is renewed assurance that these long-neglected facilities will be judiciously utilized. The recent establishment of a federal university in Okeho is a golden opportunity for holistic development, and proper utilization of these constituency projects could play a transformative role in shaping the future of the entire region.
Kayode Awojobi is a multiple award-winning broadcast journalist, social and political commentator. He writes from Okeho.
