The Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO) Media Fronts has debunked circulating claims suggesting that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, have been indicted over the Baro Inland Port project, describing such reports as “despicable fake news.”
In a statement released, yesterday , AMBO Media Fronts clarified that no allegation of corruption has been levelled against Oyetola and Oyebamiji by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of Baro Inland Port, contrary to speculations on social media.
The media front described the allegations as the handiwork of “political jobbers” desperate to smear the names of both officials for selfish gains.
“It is important to state that the Baro Inland Port project was commissioned in January 2019 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, a clear four years before Oyetola and Oyebamiji assumed their current offices.
They have no link whatsoever to the contract process of the project as being mischievously portrayed,” the statement read.
According to AMBO Media, Oyebamiji, in response to an invitation by the House Committee, appeared before the lawmakers on July 29, 2025, to provide clarifications on the status of the Baro Port.
He presented a detailed report tracing the port’s history from its establishment in 1908 under the colonial administration of Lord Fredrick Lugard, through its enhancement by the Tafawa Balewa government in 1953, to its eventual commissioning in 2019.
Oyebamiji informed the committee that the port’s inactivity is not due to any mismanagement or fraud but is a result of infrastructural deficits.
He identified the inaccessibility of the Baro-Minna-Zaria-Kano rail line and the deplorable state of key access roads in Kogi State as primary challenges hindering the port’s operationalisation.
He appealed to the lawmakers to assist in advocating for the rehabilitation of these crucial infrastructures to facilitate the port’s activation. Committee members, impressed by the NIWA boss’s detailed presentation, commended his leadership and assured that relevant agencies like the Ministry of Works and Nigerian Railway Corporation would be engaged to address the highlighted challenges.
Interestingly, AMBO Media described the engagement as “a fact-finding and problem-solving session” which has now been twisted by “fake news mongers” into an imaginary corruption probe against Oyetola and Oyebamiji. “Would a Committee hunting corrupt officials praise them for their presentation and invite them for an on-the-spot assessment of the port?” the statement queried.
The media front accused unnamed political actors of attempting to undermine Oyebamiji’s growing popularity in Osun State ahead of the 2026 governorship election, alleging that these smear campaigns are orchestrated to distract from ongoing investigations into alleged financial misconduct involving some of the accusers’ sponsors.
“The people of Osun know the truth and will not be swayed by these malicious attempts. They are aware of Oyebamiji’s integrity, his professional excellence in banking, public financing, and his unmatched track record of service delivery,” AMBO Media said.
The group affirmed its commitment to the AMBO 2026 project, stating that no amount of blackmail will derail Oyebamiji’s vision to offer competent leadership to the people of Osun State.
