Aiyedatiwa Under Pressure to Complete Akeredolu Judiciary Complex

48-week deadline expires as questions mount over ₦31.1bn project

By The Pivot Online News Desk

AKURE — The Ondo State Government is facing renewed questions over the completion of the Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu Judiciary Complex, more than a year after Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa formally flagged off the project.

The project, awarded at a reported cost of about ₦31.112 billion, was originally scheduled for completion within 48 weeks. That deadline elapsed in late 2025, yet the complex has not been commissioned for use.

The concerns were raised in a recent analysis by Ojo Oyewamide, a seasoned journalist, public analyst and writer, who questioned the current status of the project and when the Aiyedatiwa administration intends to complete it.

According to Oyewamide, the project dates back to the administration of the late former Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who announced plans in December 2021 to construct a new High Court Complex and Customary Court of Appeal.

By January 2023, land had reportedly been acquired and preliminary preparations completed. However, Akeredolu’s prolonged illness and subsequent death in December 2023 disrupted the progress of the initiative.

The project was subsequently revived by the Aiyedatiwa administration.

In June 2024, the state government announced approval for the construction of what it described as the Judiciary Village.

Governor Aiyedatiwa formally flagged off construction on December 27, 2024, announcing that the facility would be named the Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu Judiciary Complex in honour of his predecessor.

The 13-hectare complex was designed to provide modern judicial infrastructure, including 14 courtrooms, a ceremonial courtroom, modular courtrooms, a registry, library, exhibition facilities, utility buildings and parking facilities.

The contract was awarded to Westfield Global Construction Company on June 11, 2024, with a reported completion period of 48 weeks.

However, the project has faced controversies since its commencement.

The choice of contractor attracted criticism after reports linked the company to the then National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. Some individuals and groups questioned the circumstances surrounding the award of the contract.

In June 2025, BT and T Standard Company Limited reportedly accused the contractor of failing to pay ₦300 million in compensation said to be due to the company over the acquisition of the land on which the complex is being constructed.

The project also became the subject of controversy in August 2025 following reports alleging that parts of the complex had collapsed.

The state government dismissed the reports.

The then Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands and Housing, Abiola Olawoye, inspected the site alongside journalists and stated that there was no structural failure. He disclosed that the project was between 45 and 50 per cent complete and expressed optimism that it would soon be delivered.

Nearly a year later, however, questions remain about the project’s current status.

The issue has also revived an earlier criticism from Babajide Akeredolu, son of the late governor.

Babajide had questioned the decision to name an unfinished project after his father, arguing that Akeredolu’s legacy would be better honoured by completing the projects he initiated and making them functional.

Oyewamide’s latest intervention has therefore brought renewed attention to the issue, particularly the failure of the original 48-week completion timeline.

The state government is expected to clarify the current percentage of completion, the amount already paid to the contractor, outstanding financial commitments, whether the original contract has been varied, the reasons for the delay and the new expected completion date.

For a project involving more than ₦31 billion in public funds and designed to provide critical infrastructure for the judiciary, transparency over its progress is essential.

If construction is continuing, a clear timeline for completion would help reassure the public.

If there has been a delay, the reasons should be made public.

And if the project has stalled, the people of Ondo State deserve an explanation.

The complex was conceived as part of a long-term vision to modernise the state’s judicial infrastructure. Its completion would therefore represent not only a major infrastructure achievement for the Aiyedatiwa administration but also a continuation of the vision of the late Akeredolu.

For now, the central question remains:

When will the Akeredolu Judiciary Complex finally be completed and put to use?

The Pivot Online — Stories Beyond the Headlines.