The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has described as untrue the allegation that former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and other ex-officials of the state carted away vehicles worth N2.9 billion.
The party also described those making the allegations as “comedians, who are only seeking ways of mitigating the effect of their embarrassing outings at the Osun Election Petition Tribunal.”
In a statement by the party’s Media Director, Mr. Kola Olabisi, the party said all the panels set up by the government already had their reports even before they were inaugurated.
The statement read in part, “Take a look at the video attached, you will observe the vehicles they announced that they are looking for are already being used by the current deputy governor. Yet, they claimed they did due diligence.
“Should we continue to believe characters like that? How did they come about the cost? Are they using the current market value or how?
“Talking about this particular panel, have they concluded their sitting? When was their report submitted? We asked these questions because only two days ago, the governor was quoted to have said any of the former political appointees that wanted his November salary should return the vehicle in his custody.
“Or is that also part of the recommendations of the panel? For clarity sake, the former governor and his deputy, by law and convention, are entitled to certain privileges and these are well-documented. Apart from those vehicles which their offices permit them to take home, they never took any other item.
“As for the commissioners and other appointees who are also statutorily entitled, the governor formally approved their used official vehicles to them as gift for their meritorious service to the state since they are not entitled to either pension or gratuity.
“It is also important to point out that this gesture is not limited to political appointees alone, as in the past, career officers had also been allowed to go home with their used vehicles as gifts on retirement for serving the state meritoriously.”
It said the fact could be verified as administrations before that of Oyetola past practised it, adding that the Osun PDP-led government must be serious and should stop acting like comedians.
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