In what appears to be a lack of transparency and accountability to the people of Ogun State, the state government has continued go keep a sealed lips over the cost of Gateway City Gate project constructed by Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration.

Commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2022, the cost of the project has continued to create controversies amongst the people of the State.

Few days ago, the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in the 2023 election in the State, Barrister Biyi Otegbeye, had put the cost at N7b.

Otegbeye, during an interactive session with the state muslim community under the aegis of League of Imams and Alfas, Ogun State Chapter, condemned governor Dapo Abiodun for alleged wasteful spending on the project.

According to him the cost of that project could have constructed about 13 rural roads.

“Transparency is really missing, and you can not align some of the roads to the so-called budgets. For instance, the so called cost of erecting the City Gate, when you’re coming from Sagamu – N7b. That City Gate can do 13 rural roads fi there is transparency and no stealing,” Otegbeye said.

The Governor, who was scheduled to also interact with the muslims leaders, and probably cleared the air on the allegation, did not honour the invitation extended to him.

But in a press statement signed by the spokesperson to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kunle Somorin. The government described the allegation as a monumental falsehood.

The government however refused to put a cost to the project, but it was less than five per cent of the N7b allegation.

The statement read, “The attention of the Ogun State Government has been drawn to a video clip of the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, one Biyi Otegbeye, purporting that the Gateway City Gate Monument at the Sagamu Interchange was erected at a whooping N7bn.

"The fact of the matter is that the iconic Gateway City Gate Monument that has received rave reviews and endorsements by a wide segment of the public, including the Presidency costs less than 5 percent of his imagined cost.

“Mr. Otegbeye must probably have thought or believed that a project of such magnitude could not have cost less than N7bn.”

A message sent to the governor’s spokesperson on the real cost o the project has not been answered as at the time of filling this report.