- You’re a ‘lying machine’, PDP replies APC
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has accused the state governor, Ademola Adeleke of awarding multi-billion naira infrastructural projects to his elder brother, Deji Adeleke, music star, David Adeleke popularly known as Davido; Deputy Speaker, Akinyode Abidemi Oyewusi, among others.
The opposition party in the state scolded the governor for continuously running the affairs of the state as private enterprise of Adeleke’s dynasty, decrying the alleged gross violation of the 2015 Public Procurement Law of the state in the award of the contracts worth about N50bn to entities with no professional and technical competence.
To stem this, the party called on the anti-graft agencies, particularly Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, to probe the Adeleke-led administration and prosecute culprits.
The APC raised the allegations on Tuesday at a press conference addressed by its Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, in Osogbo.
Lawal accused Adeleke of flagrant disobedience of extant laws and gross violation of the 2015 Public Procurement Law of the state in the award of the contracts to entities with no background in road construction.
According to him, the financial injection through the supposed infrastructure is being circumvented and cornered by the Adeleke family using business names of Deji Adeleke and a lawmaker from Ife North State constituency of Osun State, Akinyode Abidemi Oyewumi.
“Tongues are currently wagging in Osun State that the billionaire brother of Governor Adeleke, Dr. Deji Adeleke and his son, David Adeleke a.k.a. ‘Davido’ are interested parties in the touted multi-billion naira road and flyover projects using inactive and inexperienced companies to front for them.
“It is bizarre that two companies founded by the incumbent Deputy Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Akinyode Abidemi Oyewusi, were recently awarded road construction contracts by the Government of Osun State.
“The Osun State Deputy Speaker is the founder of Raregeode Company Limited and Acumen Forte Limited, two companies awarded road projects by Governor Adeleke to the tune of N9 billion and was a shareholder in the two companies as at the time the contracts were awarded; while members of his family were also person(s) with significant interest in the two companies, which is contrary to the public procurement law of Osun State.
“By virtue of the PPA Law of 2015, it amounts to unholy conflict of interest that a leader of the state House of Assembly will, through the back door, use two companies founded by him and where he is still a shareholder and members of his family are still holding principal directing positions, to bid for public contracts.
“For the fact that this seemingly unpatriotic action of Mr. Oyewusi grossly violates provisions of the state’s procurement law, he should resign his membership of the state House of Assembly outright and hand himself over to the anti-graft agency for prosecution.
“Again, it is strange that the Ademola Adeleke Government awarded public contracts to companies with no history of road construction. There is no verifiable evidence that Raregeode Company Limited, Acumen Forte Limited and the three companies engaged for the road construction, namely: Ascorj Integrated Nigeria Ltd, Great Enyork Technology Limited and Enginec Engineering Limited, have the capacity and experience for such whooping contracts. The contracts were not only gifted to mushroom companies, they were gifted at insane costs. Even in the Niger Delta states where topology is unfriendly, contracts are not awarded at N2.5bn per kilometer as Governor Adeleke has done in the instance of Osun.
“We want to use this medium to call on the anti-graft agencies, especially the ICPC and EFCC, to immediately move in their men to Osun State in order to halt the reckless mismanagement of public fund which is now endemic under the government of Senator Ademola Adeleke,” Lawal asserted.
However, while denying the allegations, the ruling People’s Democratic Party in the state, described the APC as a lying machine.
Addressing a press conference in Osogbo, the Chairman, Sunday Bisi, said, “We first want to vehemently deny allegations that the state government violated the state procurement law. It is an unfounded allegation. We also denied a defamatory allegation by Soko Lawal that the Adeleke family is looting the state treasury through contract awards. The family is blessed and is only focused on giving back to society.
“We affirm that the state government is not only complying with extant laws but prudently deploying available resources to develop the state infrastructure. Mr. Governor is a leader of due process, rule of law and fear of God.”
Bisi added, “Few weeks ago, the Osun State Government released details of companies awarded the first phase of projects in the multi-billion infrastructure plan of the state. The companies have undergone rigorous scrutiny of journalists and conscious citizens, and there is no established link of any of the companies to Dr. Deji Adeleke or his son, David Adeleke (Davido).
“We understand the perilous situation of the Osun APC but we expect them to at least be reasonable in the quest to manufacture lies. Dr. Deji Adeleke is a renowned businessman with a series of successful ventures and has no reason whatsoever to be hiding behind anyone to engage in a legitimate business. We take the reckless accusation of the Osun APC as a failed strategy to drag the serial investor into their shameless rhetoric and we enjoin the public to totally discountenance this irresponsible blackmail attempt by the feckless opposition in Osun state.
“The same thing goes for Mr. David Adeleke, a thriving musician but which the Osun APC is trying to smear with lies and reckless assumptions.
“That the Osun APC failed to quote the relevant section of the PPA 2015 easily gives away the lies in its claim. The award of the contracts followed the lettered provisions of the PPA 2015, which we believe the Osun APC is ignorant of or just choose to be mischievous by setting out a wrong narrative in the public. There is no violation of the procurement law of Osun state or any other laws.
“It is on record that as at the time when Raregeode Company Limited and Acumen Forte Limited won the bid and were awarded contracts for the various projects, the Deputy Speaker, AKINYODE ABIDEMI OYEWUSI has ceased to have any role in the two companies. The public are advised to note the March 20, 2023, resignation letter of AKINYODE ABIDEMI OYEWUSI, relinquishing control over the two companies in line with the provisions of the law. As long as he has resigned his interest in the company, there is no encumbrance or illegality on the side of the Deputy Speaker.”
