Lately, conversations surrounding the installation of solar-powered streetlights in Akunnu-Akoko and other parts of Ondo North Senatorial District of Ondo State have been clouded by misinformation. Many people have hastily concluded that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Kogi Central Senatorial District singlehandedly brought solar-powered streetlights to Ondo North Senatorial District, while Senator Jide Ipinsagba, representing Ondo North, supposedly stood aloof.
This narrative, though popular on social media, is a distortion of facts and a misunderstanding of federal structure.
The ongoing solar-powered streetlights installation is not a personal project of individual Senators. They are federal interventions executed under the supervision of the Ministry of Regional Development, in partnership with the Nigerian Senate. The initiative was structured to promote national integration, hence Senators were strategically assigned to zones outside their immediate districts.
Under this arrangement, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was assigned to the South-West geopolitical zone, which explains her installation of solar-powered streetlights in some parts of Owo/Ose and Akunnu-Akoko. Similarly, Senator Ipinsagba was tasked with installation in the North Central zone, and he has successfully carried out his own projects in communities such as Ayere/Kabba, in accordance with his designated area of coverage.
This cross-zonal model was deliberately designed to strengthen unity and cooperation across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. It ensures that developmental projects circulate nationally, beyond ethnic or political boundaries in the spirit of shared progress.
Therefore, interpreting Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan's action as a substitution or replacement for Senator Ipinsagba’s duty is entirely misguided. Both Senators are performing complementary roles under the same federal initiative, each within their officially assigned geopolitical zones.
It bears repeating that Senator Ipinsagba remains deeply committed to the growth of Ondo North Senatorial District through numerous projects, empowerment programmes and infrastructure initiatives, that directly benefit his constituents.
The solar-powered streetlights project is a symbol of unity, not rivalry. It represents the Federal Government’s resolve to ensure that light, both literal and metaphorical, spreads evenly across the nation.
Let us, therefore, resist the temptation to weaponise development projects for political narratives. Facts must prevail over assumptions. When truth is understood, unity thrives, but when misinformation rules, progress suffers.
In the spirit of national cohesion, let us celebrate every Senator, who contributes to illuminating Nigeria, whether in Ondo, Kogi or beyond.
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