N8.6bn ‘Opon Imo’ Contract Wasn’t Awarded To My Son, Says Aregbesola

Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Saturday, denied speculations that he awarded the N8.6billion contract of learning tablets popularly known as “Opon Imo”, which was recently launched in the state, to his son, Kabiru Aregbesola.

He described the speculations as unfounded and packs of lies to discredit the technological innovations initiated by his administration.

Aregbesola, who spoke at an interactive session, tagged “Ogbeni Till Day Break”, in Osogbo, the state capital, said his son, among numerous other contributors to the project, only uploaded the textbooks into the learning tablets.

His son was brought into the controversy when national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the launch of “Opon Imo”, in Ilesa, some weeks back, singled out Kabiru for commendation for his significant role in the success of the project.

That single move led to speculations that Aregbesola awarded the contract to his son just as the opposition in the state accused him of allegedly using his office to enrich his immediate family.

While clearing the air on the role played by his son in the project at the interactive session, Aregbesola explained that “we had serious problem in uploading the textbooks into the hardware. We called experts, but they could not do it and I became worried and downcast about it.

“My son, who studied informatics in Cuba noticed me and inquired what was wrong and I told him about our difficulties in uploading the textbooks into the hardware. From that point, he decided to come in and he was able to help in uploading the educational materials into “Opon Imo”. He did not collect a dime for it. That was the critical contribution he made that was misconstrued by the opposition, who said I awarded the contract to Kabiru,” Aregbesola asserted.

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