Osun group wants Oyetola to investigate predecessor’s financial records

By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo

Perturbed by the poor financial status of Osun State, a Civil Society group, the Osun Masterminds (TOM) yesterday asked Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola to investigate the financial records of the  immediate past governor and current Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

It would be recalled that Osun State Government received a negative allocation of -N375million from the FAAC in February 2022. The group made the request in Osogbo at its monthly State address.

Speaking, the Executive Director, Dr. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli who expressed worry over the impoverished financial situation of the state, allegedly caused by the previous administration said  several actions of the State Government under former governor Aregbesola  were inspired by wastefulness and corruption.

Oyedokun-Alli said that several projects that were not of immediate benefit to the State were initiated with loans which according to him had plunged the state into financial mess.

He noted that the Government needs to conduct financial sustainability exercise that will look into the core areas of finances of the State.

According to Oyedokun-Alli, “In the month ended February 2022, Osun State Government received a negative allocation of -N375million from the FAAC, out of a possible N1.45billion. The implication of this is that the State will be paying back an extra sum of 375million from next month’s allocations, plus the deductions already waiting in that month.

“While we understand that increasing figures of fuel subsidy has beaten down monthly allocations to various arms of government, the more worrisome implications of this to Osun State is the fact that as the Federation’s finances worsen, Osun will become more incapable of meeting its debt obligations, let alone have any money left to run the State.

“There is an even more disturbing possibility. Now that we have the sum of N375million to repay from March allocation, like makeup for the shortage in the deduction for February, shortages in deduction of this nature may continue to accumulate if the Federation’s finances do not improve. This means that monthly, Osun will continue to get allocation deficits that are higher in figure than the last. The worst, therefore, may not yet be seen.

“If the State proceeds in this manner, it will steadily progress into insolvency and eventually, total bankruptcy. This is not a point we hope to be in.

“We begin to recall now, the several white elephant endeavours that the Aregbesola government got itself into. The memories are fresh in the minds of every keen watcher of the polity, but for posterity’s sake, we will quickly remind everyone of these legacies that we must as a matter of urgency, reverse and set Osun back on the growth path.

“It will be recalled that the Osun State Government, under Ogbeni Aregbesola claimed it expended over N8billion on Opon Imo for schools. The gadgets are today nowhere to be found, after gulping such humongous figures.

“Without a clear understanding of the usefulness and future benefits, the Aregbesola administration expended a whooping N248million on the construction of the Hassan Olajokun park in Gbongan. Less than a year after Ogbeni Aregbesola himself commissioned the park, it became home to reptiles and other wild animals, having been left unused and in a state of disrepair.

“In March 2018, Ogbeni Aregbesola himself confessed that the concession arrangement for the construction of the MKO Abiola Airport had failed, after the State Government had spent N3.5billion on nonexistent groundworks that cannot be seen today.

“For years, the Osun State Government, under Ogbeni Aregbesola also expended over N1.2billion on the O’Callisthenics program that had neither economic benefits nor immediate gains for the education sector. In four years, Osun thus spent close to N5billion on a poorly thought-out projects that it neither had the finances for nor could gain anything meaningful from,” he said.

However, the group charged Governor Oyetola to boldly come out and  explain to residents, the actual debt he inherited from his predecessor instead of keeping the people of the state in darkness.

“The present Government must seek all avenues to increase the State’s capacity for revenue generation, as a shock absorber for the heavy deductions that are now rendering the State broke. The Government can look into the areas of tourism and manufacturing,” he added.