Osun APC, PDP Bicker Over Rice Distribution, Sure-P Funds

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has enjoined the State House of Assembly to inquire why the state governor, Ademola Adeleke decided to withhold the November 2022 salaries of all the political appointees of the immediate-past Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

In a statement by the Osun APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal and made available by Kola Bisi, the Director of Osun APC, the party revealed that Adeleke has both refused to pay the November salaries of all the legally-appointed political appointees of Oyetola despite the fact that the latter had appropriated the fund for same before he left the office.

The affected former public officers are the Governor, Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff, Assistant Chief of Staff, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants, Personal Assistants, Drivers and others.

“It was observed that Governor Adeleke deliberately and grudgingly refused to pay the November salaries of all the public officers who validly worked for Oyetola till the end of his tenure last month.

"There could be no justifiable reason under the sun why Governor Adeleke should be owing the salaries of the public workers who were validly employed by his predecessor.

“Adeleke to shed his toga of politics of hatred, vindictiveness, oppression, victimisation as there is no any justifiable reason for him to withhold the workers’ salaries other than wickedness, insensitivity, lack of empathy and inconsideration," Lawal stated.

He querried the basis for the seizure of the public workers’ salaries when there are records that they were validly employed and worked diligently till November 27, 2022 when there was a change of government.

“I can’t understand how we came to this level. Why is Governor Adeleke punishing a cross section of Osun State workers whose salaries he is sitting on.

"Thank God that we are operating in a democratic society where there are expected statutory checks and balances by the all arms of any government”.

“It is on this basis that it is expedient for the Osun State House of Assembly to wade into the issue and ask questions why Governor Adeleke is working a bleak Christmas for some people in the state through non-payment of salaries," Lawal stated.

Also, the Osun APC Chairman revealed that the Ademola Adeleke administration has spent N941,850, 000.00 to buy rice for the members and leaders of the PDP in the state.

The Osun APC alleged that the money for the rice was part of the local government SURE-P fund meant for the provision of social infrastructure across the council areas in the state.

Lawal disclosed that the party had stumbled on a letter where Adeleke, through the State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, directed the diversion of the money meant for the generality of the people of the state towards the purchase of the commodity.

While wondering on whose authority the state governor approved the withdrawal of the funds from the local government allowance without any recourse to the state House of Assembly, Lawal concluded that, "It is obvious that the Osun State people have boarded a metaphorical one-chance vehicle with Governor Adeleke in the driver's seat of governance in the state.

In the letter issued and signed by Femi Ogundun, Coordinating Director, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, dated December 16, 2022, Governor Adeleke approved the accessment of N13, 650, 000 for each of the 69 local government councils including the local council development areas and area offices to purchase Christmas and New Year gifts for political loyalists.

Adeleke also directed that N13,440,000.00 being the cost of the rice and transportation cost of N210,000 should be paid by each of the local government council areas into one company, Hill Crest Agro-Allied Industries Limited with account number 1014686758.

Reacting, the Osun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adekunle Akindele stated that despite clear clarifications that the funding for the purchase did not emanate from Sure-p fund which is still intact, the Osun APC is obsessed with fake news simply because Governor Adeleke stopped the former government from looting the fund. The Sure-P money is very much intact.

Akindele stated that the governor has continued to receive accolades from the public on his handling of the rice distribution project.

He thanked the Governor Adeleke for breaking new grounds and for setting Osun state on the path of sustainable development and good governance.

The problem started when the Osun State Governor in a press statement on Wednesday, approved a committee on distribution of rice.

The state governor through a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed also stated that the Sure-P Fund is Intact.

"The Executive Governor of Osun State , Senator Ademola Adeleke has approved the composition of a committee for a non-partisan distribution of rice just as the State Government directed that beneficiaries must cover all sectors of the state. 

"The government also wishes to affirm to Osun People that the Sure-P fund, which Governor Adeleke stopped former government from looting, remains intact and safe in the accounts of the local governments," the statement added.