The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called out the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola over the N11.9 billion refunded to the state by the Federal Government during his tenure.
The PDP asked Oyetola and the All Progressive Congress(APC) to explain to Osun people, how the money was spent.
Osun Defender gathered the money was received during the administration of Oyetola for federal government road projects embarked upon by his predecessor, Rauf Aregbesola.
The director of media of the PDP, Oladele Olabamiji in a press statement on Wednesday, asked the APC and Oyetola to account for how the money was spent.
Olabamiji while carpeting the APC on its position on the crisis in the state College of Education, Ila, said the opposition party has continued to exhibit shallowness on critical issues.
Olabamiji said APC during the tenure of Oyetola covered up fraud in Osun State College of Education, Ila, to the point of using its members-dominated Assembly to clear those indicted in the school.
The statement read in part, “The PDP called on the Osun APC to face the question on accountability on the N11.9 billion refund to the state by its administration instead of the mocking anti-corruption with its voice, saying Osun people have a right to know what happened to monies that the APC received on its behalf.
“While the APC was pretending to be opposed to corruption in Ila College of Education, there were questions by Osun people on what happened to a refund of N11.9bn to the state that the APC administration received.
“If the APC is indeed not about corruption as Osun people have witnessed, it should come out to answer this question of accountability by providing detailed explanation on how the money was spent. But we doubt it, because the APC did not just loot earnings to the state, it looted borrowed funds, which the people of Osun now go through harrowing experience to repay.”
The statement read further, “It is deceptive for the APC to present itself as an anti-corruption voice when its record of corruption in Osun is wide and open to all. In fact, the unfortunate experience from Ila College of Education was enabled by the APC corruption style because it failed to take action when it mattered most.
“We like to invite the public to note that the Auditor-General of the State had in a report in 2022 indicted the current Provost and a former Registrar of malfeasance. Rather than for the APC to take action, it choose to cover up for the indicted official and this must have emboldened this latest incident.
“Yet, the same APC that covered up fraud in Ila College of Education, even to the point of using its members dominated Assembly to clear them, because it touches a relative of one of its chieftains, is now concerned about corruption. What an irony!.”
Kazeem Badmus is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience. A professional in journalism and media writing, Kazeem prioritses accuracy and factual reportage of issues. He is also a dexterous finder of the truth with conscious delivery of unbiased and development oriented stories.
