Solar panels attached to a block of six classrooms the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs (OSSAP-SDGs) built in Comprehensive High School, Oke Aro Agbado, Ogun State, stopped working a week after installation, FIJ has learned.

FIJ visited the school on Wednesday after media representatives of the MDA told the newspaper the office complied with best practices in awarding the contract.

This claim was in response to FIJ’s report on how Ibikunle Amosun, a former senator, inserted into the OSSAP-SDGs’ budget a vague N47.5 million contract for the classrooms’ construction in his constituency of Ogun Central District.

The contract was awarded to Tru 3 Nigeria Limited. FIJ found that there was no specificity in the contract award, the classrooms are small and the school is only able to use one of the six as a classroom.

During our visit, a member of the school’s staff, who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity, showed us how five of the classrooms were renovated to serve as offices and laboratories since they could not function as classrooms.

READ MORE: How Orelope Adefulire’s OSSAP-SDGs Paid N47.5m for Shady Contract on Amosun’s Request

“The solar panel stopped a week after they built it,” this staff member told FIJ. “I was told the school had been calling them since November. They said they would send somebody to come and rectify it, but they have not come.

“We just started using the classrooms. Before the former principal retired in May 2023, she allocated the classrooms for several purposes. The classes are not that big for the students, so we converted some of them to offices so they would not be useless.

“We have one staff room there, then a home economics laboratory, a library, computer room and one class for Islamic Religious Studies and Christian Religious Studies classes to swap whenever their lectures clash.”

On Friday, FIJ took its findings to the OSSAP-SDGs. We sent videos and pictures via WhatsApp to Desmond Utomwen, media aide to the MDA.

Utomwen denied knowledge of the faults with the solar panel and said no one had complained officially, contrary to the staff’s position.

“It’s clear that this is a zonal intervention project (constituency project), rightfully attracted and facilitated by the lawmaker, duly provided for in the budget,” Utomwen told FIJ. “Like many others, they are usually executed by the MDAs where such projects are domiciled.

“This underscores the evident relationship between the senator, the project and the office.

“The video you sent doesn’t provide a complete picture. Still, I can confirm that the project was handed over to the beneficiaries in perfect condition. If any issues arise during its use, proper communication with the sponsors can help address them. Currently, there are no records indicating such communication.”

Additional reporting by Abraham Amusan