Adeleke’s claim on N2.9bn vehicles is false – Osun APC defends its actions

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Allegations that Adegboyega Oyetola, the former governor of Osun State and other former politicians in his administration took away vehicles worth 2.9 billion naira have been branded as false by the state section of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Making this known in a statement signed by Kola Olabisi, the media director of Osun APC, the party alleged that all the panels set up by the government already had their reports even before their inauguration.

While describing the people behind the allegations as comedians, the party maintained that it was looking for ways to lessen the effect of their embarrassing exit from the Osun Election Petitions Tribunal.

When resuming the Tribunal’s seats on Thursday, the INEC acknowledged that these were incidents of over-voting in the July 16, 2022 gubernatorial election in the state.

According to the APC statement, “Have a look at the attached video, you will observe that the vehicles they advertise they are looking for are already used by the current Deputy Governor. Still, they claimed to have done their due diligence.

“How did they arrive at the cost? Do they use current market value or how? Speaking of this particular group, have they completed their session? When was their report submitted?

“We asked these questions because just two days ago the governor reportedly said that one of the former politicians who wanted his November salary should return the vehicle in his custody.

“Or is that also part of the panel’s recommendations?”

“For the sake of clarity, the former governor and his deputy, by law and convention, are entitled to certain privileges and these are well documented.

“Apart from the vehicles that their offices allow them to take home, they have never taken any other items.”

The party explained that the government had officially allowed commissioners and other appointees to take away their used cars as a take-home gift for their meritorious service to the state.

The gesture was made as they were not entitled to a pension or gratuity and it was not just limited to political appointments as career officers in the past had also been allowed to drive home with their vehicles used as a gift on retirement to serve the state. deservedly.

DAILY POST had reported on Friday that the Osun State government, through a statement signed by Olawale Rasheed, Governor Spokesman Ademola Adeleke had ordered Oyetola, his wife Kafayat Oyetola and other former appointed politicians to immediately return official vehicles in their possession.

The directive was given by the Osun State Government Asset Recovery Committee headed by Bashiru Tokunbo Salam.

The panel had alleged that the former officials left with the various vehicle models without any legal basis for such action.

According to the panel, “the former deputy governor has more than seven government vehicles in his custody contrary to the provisions of the law.”

The committee that urged affected political appointees in the previous administration to comply with the directive or risk enforcement procedures also ordered a sitting senator, Adelere Adeyemi Oriolowo, representing the Osun West Senate District. , to return to the Osun State agricultural development program five machines, namely a grader, bulldozer, soil compactor among others.

DAILY POST recalls that during his inauguration on November 27, 2022, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke revealed that he will issue an executive order setting up committees, one of which is to recover the assets of civil servants of the outgoing administration of Adegboyega Oyetola.

Additionally, during the committee’s inauguration, the state’s deputy governor, Kola Adewusi, publicly revealed that the official quarters of the deputy governor were nothing out of the ordinary.

While stating that the state was in dire straits, Adewusi denounced the high level of looting that had occurred in the neighborhoods.

Former Deputy Governor Benedict Alabi, in his defense, explained that he left official quarters months before his term expired.

Alabi also disclosed that some of the vehicles in his possession were occupied personal property.

Former Oyetola administration officials have also said that the vehicles in their care were legally signed to them by the state government under Adegboyega Oyetola.

They also accused Governor Adeleke of withholding November salaries from former political appointees who served under the outgoing administration.

An allegation to which the national section of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked the National Assembly to intervene and find a lasting solution.

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