•Wants DMO DG investigated

Following the controversy surrounding the “indebtedness of Osun State to the tune of N407.32billion,” a human rights organization, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has concluded plans to approach the anti-graft bodies of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for credible Investigation into the alleged criminal mismanagement of Osun public funds which led to the bogus indebtedness on the neck of the state.

The rights group explained that its planned action has become imperative in order to retrieve all the Osun public funds in the purse of certain individuals in the state and beyond, noting that every kobo of Osun fund in the “last 10 years” should be accounted for by the immediate past Governments of Gboyega Oyetola and Rauf Aregbesola respectfully.

The group saluted Governor Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke for uncovering the sleaze concerning the finances of the state by exposing the can of worm in the financial sector of the state.

It also wants the former Director-General of Osun Debt Management Office (DMO), Mr. Tunde Adejumo, to be investigated for being an accomplice in putting debt of repayment for 28 years on the neck of the state without any tangible justification for the said loan.

It added that Adejumo and his co-travelers had mortgaged the future of the State with unfortunate and unnecessary debts, saying that the CHRSJ and its sister organization (Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) have been vindicated with the disclosure of the present financial status of the state by the new administration of Governor Adeleke.

It would be recalled Adeleke recently raised the alarm over the state of indebtedness of the State to the tune of N407.32billion when he took over the reign of the State as the Sixth Executive Governor on November 27, 2022.

It was learnt that Office of the Accountant-General of the State submitted the debt profile of the as at 30th November, 2022, to Governor Adeleke.

This was to make the new administration to be aware that it inherited eight outstanding loan facilities, apart from N76billion salaries and pension arrears, from the immediate past administration of Ex-Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

Commending Governor Adeleke for starting his Government on the pedestal of transparency and open door government, the rights group prayed for Adeleke to have successful tenure of office.

In a statement by CHRSJ which was signed by its Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, on the mind-boggling bloated debt profile of the state, the group blamed former Governor Gboyega Oyetola for his failure to handover to the new Governor, the state’s liability and assets by not constituting Government Transition Committee as Adeleke did before the November 27, 2022 hand over date.

It alleged that Governor Oyetola had something to hide about the finances of the state which was why he refused to constitute his own transition Committee for proper hand over to the incoming Government of Senator Adeleke.

Governor Adeleke further declared that former Governor Oyetola must explain how the N331 Billion borrowed in the name of Osun State was expended, with no obvious infrastructural development to justify this huge debt, adding that Oyetola must also explain how the N18 Billion Bridge Loan taken after he lost the election on July 16, 2022, was expended.

Senator Adeleke added that Oyetola should come forward to also explain why Osun State was owing salaries and pensions to the tune of N76 Billion after collecting a N50 Billion Salary Bail Out Loan from the Federal Government.

The rights group, therefore, insisted that the civil society groups would soon forward a petition to the anti-graft agencies over the alleged criminal mismanagement of Osun public funds in the last10 years which former Governor Oyetola involved.