An Osun State based Civil Society Organization, the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS), on Tuesday, declared the governor of the state, Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola as fantastically corrupt and lacked financial discipline in management of the public funds accrued to the state, especially, the Local Government from Federation Account.

The group, also, commended the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for commencing a credible and unbiased investigation into the alleged Local Government funds diversion by Mr. Aregbesola since November 2010 to March 2016.

Speaking with newsmen after appearing before the Zonal office of the EFCC in Ibadan on Tuesday for more clarifications on the subject matter, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman urged the anti-graft Commission to invite all the affected state and local government officials listed including immediate past Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Kolapo Alimi and Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning, Mr. Wale Bolorunduro respectively, with their Permanent Secretaries, the then Executive Secretaries and Head of Local Government Administrations (HLAs), Directors of Finance and Directors of Works.

Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman explained that he included in his written statement before the EFCC officials the need to invite these persons because they worked for the state government between November 2010 and March 2016.

He noted that no section of the amended 1999 Constitution gave leeway to any governor to divert the allocations accrued to the local government from federation account through joint account system.

Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman added that the anti-graft body must invite one Mr. S.A. Oyefade of the State Ministry of Local Government who signed for the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry in the letter dated June 24th, 2015 with the reference No: MLG/ACCT/LG/5 and captioned, “Re: Special Intervention Projects carried Out by the State Government of Osun on behalf of Local Government in the State,” and the State Accountant-General and Auditor-General, and the Auditor-General for Local Government, Messers Olukayode Aina & Co and Portfolio Advisers Limited for investigation on how they carried out special intervention projects for Aregbesola on behalf of 30 local governments, including Ife East area office from 2010 to 2014.

Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman, equally, disclosed that when attending to the CSCEOS’s team led by Barrister Wole Adeosun, an official of the anti-graft body, Mr. Richard Adejumo maintained that the invitation to the group was necessary to know the genuineness of the Petition in the cause of their investigation on the issue.

He explained that the team arrived the Ibadan Zonal office of the anti-graft body around 12 noon and endorsed all the contents in the Petition Letter with its attachment, described Aregebsola’s action on the alleged diversion of the Local Government funds as illegal, undemocratic, ungodly, evil, unconstitutional, anti-masses, abomination and crime against humanity and God.

•Photo shows Comrade Adeniyi fielding questions outside EFCC headquarters Abuja.

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