Osun State Unveils Allegations of Financial Mismanagement by Former Governor Oyetola
The Osun State Government has leveled serious allegations against former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and several members of his administration, accusing them of being involved in contract racketeering and money laundering during their tenure. The accusations were made by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, in a live broadcast on Monday morning.
Alimi revealed that the state government has gathered substantial evidence and documentation to back up the claims and promised that the documents would be made public by the end of the week. He stated: “We have credible evidence and documents to prove that former Governor Oyetola, alongside key officials such as his Finance Commissioner Alhaji Bola Oyebamiji, Commissioner for Works Remi Omowaiye, Commissioner for Local Government Adebayo Adeleke Banik, ALGON Chairman Abiodun Samuel Idowu, and others, were involved in contract racketeering and money laundering activities during their time in office.”
The commissioner emphasized that these revelations were not about the current situation in Osun State but had been under investigation for months. He also confirmed that the documents would be aired on local radio stations throughout the state from Monday to Friday.
Alimi also mentioned that the government was closely monitoring activities at local government secretariats across Osun, ensuring that everything was in order ahead of the upcoming local government elections. “Saturday’s local government election will proceed smoothly, and we are on top of the situation,” he said, urging the public to maintain law and order.
This development follows a tense exchange between Governor Ademola Adeleke and Oyetola regarding the reinstatement of sacked local government chairmen. Governor Adeleke accused his predecessor of attempting to incite unrest by pressuring security agencies to reinstate the officials. Oyetola, who currently serves as Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, has denied the allegations and urged Adeleke’s administration to comply with the Court of Appeal judgment from February 10, which called for the reinstatement of the officials.
In response to the accusations, Waheed Adekunle, speaking on behalf of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and baseless. He described them as a distraction from the state government’s current challenges. “These allegations are pure falsehood. The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Oyetola, and his cabinet members did not engage in any racketeering or money laundering. The state government should just abide by the Appeal Court judgment and allow the reinstatement of the sacked council officials,” Adekunle stated.
The ongoing political tensions between the two factions highlight the deep divides within Osun State’s political landscape as both sides continue to make accusations against each other.
