Adeleke Vows To Punish Oyetola’s Loyalists Allegedly Diverting Osun Resources

Osun State governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has said those who are looting the resources of the state after the incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola had suffered electoral defeat will be punished.

Adeleke said this on Wednesday in a statement issued on his behalf by the Chairman, Media/Publicity Sub-committee of the Ademola Adeleke Transition Committee, Olawale Rasheed.

He said diversion of fund was ongoing and about N200 million was about to be diverted through an illegal auction.

The statement read, ” There is an ongoing plan to move humongous amount of money out of Osun State Water Corporation, illegal activities of an auctioneer from Iragbiji and current diversion of fund across local governments in the state.

“We learnt on good authority that recently released fund to the water corporation is about to be frittered away by unscrupulous elements. To fast track the dubious withdrawal of the fund, the general manager, who was on terminal leave has reportedly returned to supervise the disbursement of the fund contrary to financial regulations.

“Moreso somebody has been appointed to cover his schedule while on leave. Papers are being raised to cover the spending which we gathered are mere cover to loot the corporation’s account.”

The committee called on all actors within the agency to be aware that we are watching closely and any tampering with the fund will be seriously revisited and culprits will be brought to book.

“The committee also wishes to alert the public of the activities of an illegal auctioneer from Iragbiji who is said to be operating from the Government House and who is reportedly selling off several properties of government.

“We received several messages from the public seeking action to checkmate unwarranted sales of government properties. We learnt the Nigeria Association of Auctioneers has equally raised red flag on the subject without success.

” A fake Auctioneer who is parading the ministry as Iragbiji indigene and as a brother to the governor is being used by some dubious government workers to sell government properties. Even we gathered that there are some controversial industrial water pipes worth millions of naira that are being sold away.

“While warning against ongoing pilfering of government assets, the committee urged Governor Oyetola to investigate the activities of the fake auctioneer and stop the criminal activities of the said Iragbiji indigene.

“The Transition Committee is also sad to inform the public that some top local government functionaries of the All Progressive Congress are already bolting away with council fund following the criminal directive to return allocated fund to the state ministry.

“We have it on good authority that the Council Secretary for Ayedire Local Government Area has disappeared with N8 million naira belonging to the local government. This we gathered was a direct fallout of the reported directive on local governments to return their last month’s allocations to the state.

“While Ayedire’s case is known due to the vigilance of some staff, it was learnt that similar criminal activities are ongoing across the local governments. This is reprehensible and unacceptable.

“We decried the deliberate looting of our common patrimony. We condemn unequivocally the deliberate or unintentional loss of control over state finance, leading to what appears like a systematic plundering of the treasury in assets and cash.

“We call on Governor Oyetola to intervene urgently and call his team to order. We don’t want to believe the governor issued directive for such nefarious activities that has become so pervasive to the extent that members of the public are daily sending scam alerts to our dashboard and situation room. Losing election should not be a licence for abandonment of critical state responsibilities which include securing and protecting state assets in all ramifications.”

Although the Commissioner for Information, Funke Egbemode, could not be reached on the phone to react to the allegation, she had described a similar allegation by the Adeleke committee as spurious.

She had said earlier that “It is time for Mr. Adeleke to tell the people how he intends to govern them rather than trying to blame everyone but himself for his fears. Given his admiration for his newly-learnt expression, “fact check”, we extend a call to Mr. Adeleke to show evidence of pilfering or looting to the people of Osun to prove that he is a man whose words have atoms of believability.

“Governor Oyetola already has a reputation, Mr. Adeleke is the one trying to build one for himself. It is a more strategic option to build in silence.

“We are calling on the people of Osun to ignore the fake lamentations of the incurable propagandists. Governor Oyetola has done well thus far and he will continue to do right by the people'”