Osun State governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday accused some officials of the state government of converting public assets into private ownership, illegal awards of licences and incurring of unnecessary expenditure.
The allegations were contained in a statement signed by the spokesperson for the governor-elect, Rasheed Olawale.
Adeleke, who also claimed that shady conducts were going on within the state Ministry of Finance, said apart from N17 billion loan allegedly taken by the governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, to prosecute his election, there were also reports of emergency contract awards, hurried processing of payments vouchers and a grand agenda to incur further debt under the guise of project implementation.
He then warned those involved to desist from the nefarious activities, saying the incoming government would hold people accountable for their conduct.
Adeleke said, “We have it on good authority that Osun state assets within the state, Kogi, Lagos, Abuja and outside the shore of the country are being tampered with for private acquisition.
“We have detailed reports of several properties currently being processed for ownership transfer involving serving commissioners and top government officials, hence serious warning to those involved in the illegal deals.
“Emerging reports also indicate several shady conducts ongoing within the state finance ministry Aside N17 billion loan allegedly taken by the Governor to prosecute the lost election, we are inundated with credible reports of emergency contract awards, hurried processing of payments vouchers and a grand agenda to incurr further debt under the guise of project implementation.
“There is an elaborate plot to further bankrupt the state to complicate governance under the new administration.”
But reacting, Osun state Commissioner for Information, Funke Egbemode, described the allegations as untrue, and accused the PDP of peddling lies and propaganda just to curry underserved public sympathy, insisting that Oyetola did not have a background of pilfering or misappropriating funds.
The statement by Egbemode read in parts, “We did not take any N17 billion loan to prosecute the election, just as no government official has embarked on any looting or diversion of any government assets/property as claimed by the PDP.
“Those who are suddenly realising the enormity of governing a state like Osun should own up to their fears rather than making laughable allegations.
“Oyetola has creatively managed the assets of the state in the last three-and-a-half years and has picked all the bills of the state without taking loans. Why would he start taking loans at this time?”
Punch