Osun Debt:  Gov Adeleke Accuses Oyetola Of Adding N18b After Losing Election…Allegations  Untrue, Unfounded-Media Aide 

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state on Thursday accused past administrations of piling up debts disclosing that while his administration had inherited  N407.32 billion  debt,  his immediate predecessor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola was however responsible for N18billion naira  of the sum total , the former governor had according to him gotten the said loan after recording an election loss six months ago.

Governor Adeleke, who  said this during his first meeting with  traditional rulers in the state,  added that  he took the decision  to inform the traditional rulers of  the  financial position of Osun  state in line with his campaign promise  to run an open and transparent government.

Adeleke disclosed that the accumulated debts fall into  eight categories, noting that repayment period of the said  debts ranges from 16 months to about 28 years.

‘With a  high sense of responsibility, I am reporting to our people through our traditional rulers, the total debt  inherited by my administration from  the Governor Oyetola administration.

My administration inherited eight outstanding loan facilities, apart from salaries and pension debts, from  the Governor Oyetola administration. The repayment period ranges from 16 months to about 28 years’ he said.

 The governor gave the  breakdown of the debts as : Budget Support Facility– N51.8 billion, Salary Bail Out Loan– N38.8 billion, Restructured Commercial Bank Loans– N158.77 billion, Excess Crude Account (ECA) Loan– N14.48 billion, CBN Infrastructure Loan– N9.2 billion, FGN Intervention Loan– N1.7 billion, FGN Bridge Finance Facility– N18.04 billion, Foreign Loans– $86.2 million. 

‘My good people of Osun State, the total loan stock as at today is N331.32 billion. If the N76 billion debt on that have to do with salaries and pensions are added, the state will be indebted to the tune of N407.32 billion’  Governor Adeleke  submitted  adding that the money owed contractors by the past administration was yet to be ascertained.

Chairman of Osun state Council of Obas,  Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Enitan, the Ooni of Ife, appreciated Governor Adeleke for the honour done to the  traditional rulers by sharing with them information on the financial  position of  the state, saying he is the first Governor  to do such a thing in the history of the state.

‘For what you have done by involving traditional rulers, you will succeed. We will support you with everything within our reach to navigate this challenge.

With what you  have brought here, we will not be far from you and  we will support you with our ideas to ensure you achieve your set objectives for the state’ he said.

The Alie of Ilie, Oba Oladapo Olagunoye Siyanbola, Orisajenyo Ii, who spoke in the same vein,  urged the Governor not to be discouraged  by the situation he had  met on the ground,  stating  the readiness of the traditional rulers to offer constructive advice to move the state forward.

‘While this disclosure is worrisome , my advice to you is to remain focus on executing your agenda, and you will always have our support in overcoming this and taking this state forward’  he added.

Also speaking,  the Olowu of Kuta, Oba Hammed Adekunle Makama Oyelude, said what the governor had done was a good step in the right direction with respect to   transparency but however  urged  him  to look beyond the unfavourable situation he had  inherited and see how he can deliver good governance using  the available resources, warning that his opponents are waiting for his government to fail, which he must not allow to happen.

Oba Adekunle Adeogun Okunoye, the Eburu of Iba, lauded Governor Adeleke for setting the standard in transparency and accountability by involving traditional rulers   and making them know the financial position of the state   which had shown the kind of government he intends to run.

He  asked  the Governor to keep to his promise of returning governance to the grassroots, noting that  the local government in his domain  was virtually nonexistent under the past administration .

Governor Adeleke , who appreciated the Obas for  showing  understanding with his administration , promised  to continue to discuss matters that affect the state with them.

‘This disclosure is not for political purpose but rather  in line with my campaign promise to run an open and transparent Government. I am assuring you that all my campaign promises will be kept. I trust God to support us in achieving our set goals. I have a blueprint and my 100 days programme is already in play.

I will be meeting with traditional rulers, maybe quarterly to inform  them  of what we are doing and our plans’ he added.

 Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola’s media aide,  Mr Ismail Omipidan in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com on Thursday evening however  asserted that no loan was taken by the state government on the former governor’s watch.

He noted that the debts in question actually gotten piled up during the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration.

Omipidan further described the claim by Governor Adeleke that Oyetola took N18billion loan facility as not only outlandish but unfounded, insisting that the claim was made out of sheer ignorance and mischief.

He  had since thrown  down a  challenge by asking  Governor Adeleke to publish details of the outstanding loan facilities  that he claimed his administration had  inherited and the years they were gotten.

Omipidan called  what had happened  as a smear campaign and  attempts to harm the reputation of  Oyetola adding  that Osun citizens and Nigerians from far and near  however know the truth.

‘When talking about loans, you cannot talk of maturity date without talking about the dates they were procured.

It is either that those who prepared the speech for the Governor to read did not understand the implications of their position or they did it out of sheer mischief to expose their Principal or both. Otherwise, if they had read and understood my Principal’s Farewell Speech very well, they would not have alleged that he took N18 billion loan.

Again, even in the table they released by themselves, they contradicted themselves. Take a look at item 7 on their list, they captured the N3 billion monthly as having commenced from December 2021 and that it came for six months. Yet, they claim the same N18 billion was accessed after the July election. You see why I said they are either confused or are out for mischief or even both. 

In the third paragraph of the speech from the rear, my Principal had said ‘for four years, we did not take any bank loan facility. But we benefitted from the N3billion monthly intervention from the federal Government for six months to cushion the effect of deductions of budget support facility and salary bailout accessed by the previous administration, just as we have paid N97 billion from the total debt we inherited in 2018.’ I want to believe that is what they have now twisted to call a  loan. This intervention was extended to all the 36 states of the Federation.  And the monthly N3 billion for six months came before the July 16 governorship election. This is a fact that can be verified. 

Let me restate here that we never took any bank facility, and we are throwing  down a  challenge , the Government should  publish balances of all bank accounts belonging to the State as at November 26, 2022.

When the Oyetola administration took over in 2018, we inherited humongous debt but we never complained or made excuses. What we did was to get to work and find means of making things work for the four years we had governed Osun and we reduced the debts we inherited by N97Billion. 

By the way, Governor Adeleke announced the freezing of all government accounts on November 27 when he took over. Till date, he is yet to announce that he has unfrozen the accounts. Yet, they have been spending from State Government coffers since then. So, where is the money coming from? This is where you will know that those around the Governor are a bunch of liars who are not prepared for governance but preparing grounds for excuses and non-performance’ he submitted- Team@orientactualmags.com
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