…says there is no law authorizing elected or appointed officials to go with official vehicles
The immediate past governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, his wife, Kafayat Oyetola and other former political appointees have been directed to immediately return official vehicles which are in their possession.
The directive was given by the Asset Recovery Panel of the Osun State Government on Friday in Osogbo.
The directive was made known in a statement signed by Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson to the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke.
The Asset Recovery Panel headed by Bashiru Tokunbo Salam revealed that the vehicles are valued at N2.9 billion adding that the former officials had gone away with the various models of vehicles without any legal basis for such action.
The statement disclosed that, “As at today, there is no law that authorised any elected or appointed officials to go with state vehicles after completing their tenure of office.
“The Chairman of the Asset Recovery Committee, Dr BT Salami reported that due diligence has been conducted and the committee has concluded that the affected past officials should return government vehicles in their possession.
“This is the first batch of vehicles to be retrieved. We will soon come up with the second batch. All affected officials should return the vehicles in their possession immediately to avoid coercive procedures for recovery of state assets.”
The panel also revealed that, “In the list of affected officials, Governor Oyetola alone has 11 vehicles ranging from Lexus Jeep, Toyota Prado jeeps and assorted models of costly vehicles. The wife, Mrs Kafayat also has in her possession several brand of governments vehicles which were taken away against provisions of the law.
“Other former officials listed include immediate past SPECIAL Adviser on Security, former Chief Details, former Personal Assistant to the Governor, former special assistants to the Governor, former Senior special assistants, former special advisers, former local government caretaker chairmen and members, former board chairmen and members, former Chief of Staff, former Deputy Chief of Staff, former Deputy Governor , former Secretary to the State Government, former commissioners among others.
“The former Deputy Governor has more than seven government vehicles in his custody contrary to the provisions of the law.
“A serving Senator, Oriolowo is also directed to return to the Osun State Agricultural Development Programme five machines namely motor grader, bulldozer, soil compactor machine among others.”
The committee urged the affected former government officials to comply with the directive or risk enforcement procedures.
The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke on his inauguration day on November 27, 2022 dislcosed that he will issue an Executive Order setting up a committee to recover assets from officials of the outgone administration of Adegboyega Oyetola.
Also, during the inauguration of the committee, the state’s Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi publicly revealed that the official quarters of the Deputy Governor was nothing to write home about.
Adewusi decried the high level of looting that had occurred in the quarters.
Defending himself, the former Deputy Governor, Benedict Alabi stated that he had moved out of the official quarters months before his tenure expired.
Former officials in the Oyetola administration has also come out to state that the vehicles in their custody were legally signed off to them by the state government under Adegboyega Oyetola.
They also accused the Gov Adeleke of withholding the November salaries of past political appointees who served during the outgone administration.
