The Assets Recovery Panel set up by the Osun State Government a few weeks ago, has directed ex- Governor Gboyega Oyetola, his wife, Hajia Kafayat Oyetola and other former office-holders to immediately return assorted vehicles valued at N2.9 billion which the panel claimed are still in their possession.
‘The former public officials had gone away with various models of vehicles without any legal basis for such an action. As at today, there is no law that authorizes an elected or appointed official to go with state vehicles after completing tenure of office’ Governor Ademola Adeleke’s spokesman, Mallam Olawale Rasheed submitted in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com on Friday.
The statement quoted the Chairman of the Asset Recovery Committee, Dr Bashir Tokunbo Salami to have noted that due diligence had been conducted and that the committee had taken a decision that the affected past public officials should return government vehicles in their possession.
‘This is the first batch of vehicles to be retrieved. We will soon come up with the second batch. All affected officials should return the vehicles in their possession immediately to avoid coercive procedures for recovery of State assets’ the Committee Chairman added.
The affected former public officials, were listed to include former Governor Oyetola , who allegedly left with 11 vehicles ranging from Lexus Jeep, Toyota Prado jeeps and assorted models of costly vehicles while his wife, Mrs. Kafayat also allegedly has in her possession several brand of government vehicles which were taken away against provisions of the law.
Others include immediate past Special Adviser on Security, former Chief Detail, the governor’s former Personal Assistant , former special assistants , former Senior special assistants, former special advisers, former local government caretaker chairmen and members, former board chairmen and members, former Chief of Staff, former Deputy Chief of Staff, former Deputy Governor , former Secretary to the State Government, former commissioners among others.
‘The former Deputy Governor has more than seven government vehicles in his custody contrary to the provisions of the law.
A serving Senator, Oriolowo is also directed to return to the Osun State Agricultural Development Programme five agricultural equipment namely; motor grader, bulldozer, soil compactor machine among others.
All affected ex-officials are to urgently comply with the above directive or risk enforcement procedures’ the statement added.
In separate statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com by its Director of Media, Chief Kola Olabisi, Osun state APC has described the allegations of plundering government vehicles as untrue.
It also described ‘those making the allegations’ as comedians, ‘who are only seeking for ways to mitigate the effect of their embarrassing outings at the Osun state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’.
The party also alleged that all the panels set up by the government had gotten their reports ready even before getting inaugurated.
‘Take a look at the video attached, you will observe that the vehicles they announced that they are looking for are already being used by the current deputy governor. Yet, they claimed they did due diligence.
Should we continue to believe in characters like this?
How did they come about the cost? Are they using the current market value or how?
Talking about this particular panel, have they concluded their sitting? When was their report submitted?
We asked these questions because only two days ago, the governor was quoted to have said any of the former political appointees interested in receiving his or her November salary should return the vehicle in his or her possession.
Or is that also part of the recommendations of the panel?
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 those vehicles which their offices permit them to take home, they never took any other item.
As for the commissioners and other appointees who are also statutorily entitled, the governor formally approved their official vehicles to them as gift for their meritorious service to the state since they are not entitled to either pension or gratuity.
It is also important to point out that this kind gesture is not limited to political appointees alone, as in the past, career officers had also been allowed to go home with their official vehicles as gifts on retirement for serving the state meritoriously.
This fact can be verified as administrations before that of the immediate past practiced it.
The Osun PDP-led government should , for once, be serious and stop behaving like comedians’ the statement added- Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you
