The All Progressives Congress, APC, Osun State Chapter, has fired back at Governor Ademola Adeleke over allegations against his predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola.
The opposition party in Osun slammed the Governor for descending to pettiness, saying his government can’t survive on witch-hunting mission against the erstwhile Governor.
Addressing a Press Conference in Abuja on Sunday, the APC Director of Media and Information, Mogaji Kola Olabisi accused Adeleke of diversionary attempt to cover up his corrupt practices bordering on financial improprieties, abuse of power, naked impunity, flagrant disobedience to rule of law among other misconducts.
Olabisi who launched a weighty allegations against Adeleke’s government and his family, said it is unfortunate that Adeleke has been running a secret-cult government laden with corruption, nepotism and chauvinistic tendencies in the last two and half years of being in power.
The party further lampooned Adeleke for refusing to publish relevant documents on the official website of the state as against the principles and tenets of the state Public Procurement Law.
The party accused the state government of awarding public contracts to his elder brother, Dr Deji Adeleke and serving government officials contrary to the principles of Osun State Public Procurement Law as well as principles of transparency, probity and accountability.
“It is shocking to note that the state government under the leadership of Governor Ademola Adeleke, which has been serially accused of running a secret-cult government owing to its penchant for hiding details of financial and procurement transactions of the state, is the one raising frivolous allegations again his predecessor adjudged the best in financial transparency by the World Bank.
“Unlike the Oyetola government which uploaded no fewer than 110 contract and procurement details on the state government portal in a spate of three years, the current government has only published seven (7) contract details in two years, raising eyebrows about the government’s commitment to accountability and transparency.
“Does Governor Adeleke think trumping lies to cast aspersion on the government of his predecessor will make the EFCC to sweep under the carpet the investigation against Adeleke’s lapdog, the Deputy Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Akinyode Oyewusi and Kazeem Akinleye, the Chief of Staff to Governor Adeleke?
“Two companies founded by Oyewusi, Raregode Nigeria Limited and Acumen Forte Limited were awarded joint contracts worth over N10 billion at a time Oyewusi was still a serving Deputy Speaker of the state assembly. Raregode Limited is a fertilizer distribution company with no history of road construction but strangely, the Adeleke government awarded the whooping contracts to it.
“Similarly, the Chief of Staff to Governor Adeleke, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, used his closeness to government to obtain for a company founded by him, Akinkaz Interbiz Limited, government contracts. The company was awarded multi-billionaire TETFUND projects in Osun State University ( UNIOSUN) and University of Ilesa.
“An NGO, League of Peace Ambassadors, Humanity and Human Right Advocates petitioned the anti-graft agency, EFCC, on April 16, 2024 about the shady and fraudulent contracts Governor Adeleke awarded to his appointees and cronies. Here is the Petition. More than a year ago. And we are aware that the EFCC are about to file formal charges against these characters who violated their oaths of office as public servants.
“The cases of Governor Adeleke’s family members and officials using their closeness to government and privileged positions to corner undeserved contracts against extant laws abound. Dr Deji Adeleke (the governor’s brother and father of the popular singer, Davido) has been entangled in this web of contract racketeering as his name has surfaced severally in the controversial borehole projects allegedly installed in selected wards in the state.
“He was alleged to have secured a borehole project for N14 million, many of which ended not being built. The similar borehole projects, but with all the ancillary facilities, were built in the health centres rehabilitated under our administration for less than N2 million each. It is painful that imaginary and audio borehole projects were allegedly superintended by Dr Deji Adeleke for insanely N14 million while similar projects, which are still functioning till today, were built for less than N2 million each.
“It is not a gainsaying that Dr Deji Adeleke has been operating behind the scene as the unofficial Governor-General of the state; Mrs Dupe Adeleke-Sanni, the governor’s elder sister has secured the role of the governor-in-charge of administration for herself while the governor who was elected has been titular and ridiculously playing the role of a governor-in-charge of entertainment to the consternation of the right-thinking members of the society. The situation is that bad in our state.
“Under Governor Adeleke, public procurement in Osun has become an Ojuju-Calabar, an euphemism for secret-cult government. A notable transparency advocacy group, BudgIT, has reported that Osun State Government has refused to publish relevant information on the state’s e-procurement portal.
“According to the civic organisation, which uses creative technology to simplify public information, Osun State’s performance on the fiscal transparency league table was impacted by late submission of Accountant General’s report ‘and the absence of 2024 data on the e-procurement portal.’ The state, therefore, was advised to prioritize the timely submission of financial reports and update its e-procurement platform with current data.
“If the current jesters think sponsoring mudslinging would discourage APC from giving life to the judgement of the Court of Appeal reinstating its chairmen and councilors, then the government should bury the thought. The Chairmen and Councillors have come to stay and they are resolute on giving a dividend of democracy to the people of Osun”, APC stated.
Speaking on the Adeleke’s allegations, the APC challenged the Governor to publish full details of the unfounded contractors alleged of improprieties.
“We challenge the state government, who is now on a witch-hunting mission, to publish names of contractors and date of contract awards to substantiate their evil narrative.
“In the recent propaganda escalated to the country’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), chronicling falsehood to soil the name of Oyetola and those who worked in his government, the Adeleke government said the $20m Save-One-Million Lives (SOML) Programme was stolen and was not used for the purpose it was meant for.
“SOML is a World Bank project designed to save the lives of mothers and children through health services. The fund received by Osun State Government was comprehensively monitored by the donor. We will share with you, the gentlemen of the Press, details of how the Oyetola government enhanced and scaled up health in Osun through the grant. We invite the media and the public to peruse the document, containing the pictures of facilities and programmes executed with the fund to verify our claims of the commitment of the ex-Governor Adegboyega Oyetola to good governance and transparency.
“Not only was the fund used to improve health in the state, the contract awards followed the relevant procurement laws of the state. We make bold to state that no Commissioner, Adviser or Appointee of ex-Governor Oyetola was awarded contracts while serving in his government”, APC submitted.
