APC accuses Osun Govt of accessing fresh N24bn loan
…Adeleke describes accusations as fake
By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo
The All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Osun State has accused the state government under leadership of Governor Ademola Adeleke of accessing fresh N24 billion world Bank loan.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Tinubu/Shettima campaign office, the Director Of Media and Information, Chief Kola OlabisI, said that the loan facility is scheduled to disbursed in 2025.
Olabisi stated that the state government as earlier accessed N32 billion the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme that ended in June 2024.
According to him, “Information obtained from the Federal Ministry of Finance indicates that Osun State has accessed the sum of $20 million of N-CARES, equivalent of N32 billion.
“Ordinarily, the first phase of the NG-CARES ended in June 2024, however, the Osun State governor, we are aware, has been misled to go for the second phase of the programme. Therefore, the state has signed all relevant documents to signify her intention to participate in the second phase of the NG-CARES programme. It is called NG-CARES additional financing.
“The Naira equivalent of the loan is N24 billion and the disbursement of this facility is scheduled for any moment from now. In total, the state will obtain the sum of $35 million (equivalent of N56 billion) on the NG -CARES facility.
“Someone will feel sorry for Osun when realizing how the first batch of the NG-CARES loan is being expended by the state government.
“The impression that the administration has not obtained any loans since inception is a lie from the pit of hell. Part of the state’s 2024 budget is being financed from the NG-CARES facility.
“The people of Osun, particularly the intelligentsia, must task the government to disclose the true financial situation of the state. The people should not be kept in the dark while the government ram them into eternal debt.”
Reacting to the accusations, the spokesperson to the Governor, Olawale Rasheed, described APC statement as fake, accusing the them of peddling fake news.
According to him, “I’m a member of executive council from the beginning, and I want to tell you, there has never been any member seeking approval for any loan for any project in Osun that is a fake news. APC has been peddling the news, and we’ve been debunking it, but the lucky thing for us is that Osun people are highly educated and they know when a government want to take a loan.
“How can you call N’Care, World Bank matter that we even inherited from both Governor Aregbesola and, former governor Oyetola our matter? It’s not our matter. It’s a federal matter.”
