Politics

Oyetola: Adeleke’s appointees looted Osun Govt House

The immediate past governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, says his successor, Ademola Adeleke’s appointees looted the Government House in Osogbo, the state capital.

It would be recalled that Governor Adeleke accused Oyetola’s appointees of stealing government vehicles, computers, and other items before he was sworn in on November 27.

Reacting to the accusations, Oyetola’s aide, Ismail Omipidan, while speaking at a press conference in Osogbo on Wednesday, said it was “unGodly for Adeleke’s stooges to have raised empty alarm over an illicit action taken by them”, noting that the new administration took over the possession of the Government House a day to the inauguration of Governor Adeleke.

Omipidan described the looting allegation as “not only ridiculous but sarcastic”, saying it was intended to soil the image of his principal.

He further slammed Adeleke and his appointees for their failure to protect all the items bequeathed to them by the administration of Oyetola, just as he queried why it took the new government 72 hours after they had formally taken over the property before raising allegation of looting.

The former governor’s aide stated that all the items alleged to have been carted away were intact as of the time of handing over, saying: “If there was any looting as being claimed by the agents of the new government, then we should look in their direction.”

Omipidan said Oyetola stopped sleeping in the Government House on November 19, adding that on November 26, 2022, an inventory was conducted in company of the Department of State Services (DSS) officials who were attached to the Government House at the time and security operatives attached to Governor Adeleke.

He said: “On 26th November, 2022, about 1400hours, a team of the Protocol Department, Osun State Governor’s Office, Abere, led by Mr. FALODE, in company of two officers of the Department of State Services (DSS), namely Usman Adediran and Sunday Posu, painstakingly took the inventory of items in the above mentioned places.

“The items were thereafter handed over to A. Umale and Pius Akpan, DSS personnel and security details of the new Governor Ademola Adeleke without any complaint.

“It is further noteworthy that nothing suggests that any of the items in the buildings was carted away, as all were intact as at the time of handing over.

“Attached herewith is a list of items in both buildings. And they went further to list the items one by one, covering 8 pages. In the inventory, among the items listed are: 6 Face Big Gas Cooker with Oven and 4 Face Kenstar Cooker with Oven among others.

“It is, therefore, ridiculous to accuse my Principal of taking away spoons, cooker and methylated spirit. From the foregoing, if there was any looting as being claimed by the agents of the new government, then we should look in their direction.

“They cannot take over, and then come to raise alarm 72 hours later that there was looting in the same place where they held their inauguration party on Sunday, November 27.

“If they think this is how to pay a man who gave his all for four years so that Osun could be back to reckoning, God our Creator, who is not a God of hypocrisy, will pay them in their own coin appropriately,” Omipidan stated.

The Star