Friday, March 29, 2024

Adeleke cries out over alleged auctioning of Osun govt properties

BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO

The Ademola Adeleke Transition Committee has again raised the alarm over alleged ongoing plan to move humongous amount of money out of Osun State Water Corporation, illegal activities of an auctioneer and diversion of fund across local governments in the state.

In a statement issued on Wednesday in Osogbo and signed, by Olawale Rasheed, Chairman, Media/Publicity Sub-committee, it disclosed that credible reports from the water corporation indicated ongoing plan to divert almost N200 million using fictitious cover and activities.

“We learnt on good authority that recently released fund to the water corporation is about to be frittered away by unscrupulous elements. To fast track the dubious withdrawal of the fund, the GM on terminal leave has reportedly returned to supervise the disbursement of the fund contrary to financial regulations. Moreso, somebody has been appointed to cover his schedule while on leave. Papers are being raised to cover the spending which we gathered are mere cover to loot the corporation’s account,” the statement narrated.

The committee called on all actors within the agency to be aware “that we are watching closely and any tampering with the fund will be seriously revisited and culprits will be brought to book.”

“The Committee also wishes to alert the public of the activities of an illegal auctioneer from Iragbiji who is said to be operating from the Government House and who is reportedly selling off several properties of government.

“We received several messages from the public seeking action to checkmate unwarranted sales of government properties. We learnt the Nigeria Association of Auctioneers has equally raised red flag on the subject without success.

“A fake auctioneer who is parading the ministry as Iragbiji indigene and as a brother to the Governor is being used by some dubious government workers to sell government properties. Even we gathered that there are some controversial industrial water pipes worth millions of naira that are being sold away,” the committee further alerted.

While warning against ongoing pilfering of government assets, the committee urged Governor Gboyega Oyetola to investigate the activities of the fake auctioneer and stop the criminal activities of the said Iragbiji indigene.

“The Transition Committee is also sad to inform the public that some top local government functionaries of the All Progressive Congress are already bolting away with council funds following the criminal directive to return allocated fund to the state ministry.

“We have it on good authority that the Council Secretary for Ayedire local government has disappeared with N8 million belonging to the local government. This we gathered was a direct fallout of the reported directive on local governments to return their last month’s allocations to the state.

“While Ayedire’s case is known due to the vigilance of some local staff, it was learnt that similar criminal activities are ongoing across the local governments. This is reprehensible and unacceptable.

“We decried the deliberate looting of our common patrimony. We condemn unequivocally the deliberate or unintentional loss of control over state finance, leading to what appears like a systematic plundering of the treasury in assets and cash.

“We call on Governor Oyetola to intervene urgently and call his team to order. We don’t want to believe the Governor issued directive for such nefarious activities that has become so pervasive to the extent that members of the public are daily sending scam alerts to our dashboard and situation room. Losing election should not be a licence for abandonment of critical state responsibilities which include securing and protecting state assets in all ramifications,” the committee noted.

Popular Articles