Osun SDG projects: Stop playing politics with governance — Oyetola’s aide tells PDP govt

Former Chief Press Secretary to the immediate past Osun State Governor, Adegoboyga Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan, has described the allegation by the Osun Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led administration that his principal abandoned the SDG projects in Osogbo and Iragbiji as an attempt to play politics with governance.

He explained that it is preposterous for the present administration to accuse the Oyetola government of abandoning projects that were duly completed, equipped and inaugurated weeks before the expiration of its tenure.

Omipidan said the Oyetola administration after the inauguration of the SDG projects, handed over the Skills acquisition center to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the hospitals to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, asking how a government which took over in November 2022, would suddenly wake up 10 months after to say the projects were abandoned.

The former CPS said it is the present administration that should be accused of abandoning the projects, adding that a government who took delivery of hospital equipment meant for Ila Orangun in Osun Central and moved same to equip hospital in Ede, in Osun West, would certainly not have abandoned the SDG projects if they were sited in Ede, the country home of the governor.

While accusing the government of lacking the requisite skills and character to oversee the affairs of a state like Osun, Oyetola’s aide further said: “You took over since November last year. You did not do anything after taking over. You only woke up 10 months after to accuse us of abandoning the projects. How?

“It is on record that to ensure efficient use of the facilities, while the Skills acquisition centres were handed over to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the hospitals were handed over to the University of Osun Teaching Hospital management. How can an administration which took such bold steps be accused of abandoning such projects?

“The Iragbiji community especially should be commended for providing adequate security around the projects to ensure that they were not looted even when they gave government the land free of charge to accommodate the projects.

“Assuming these projects were sited in Ede, the governor’s country home, will the government abandon them? I am aware that part of the hospital equipment donated to Ila General Orangun General Hospital by an NGO were moved to Ede to equip the General Hospital there. If the governor could do that, I am tempted to believe that the government decided to abandon the SDG projects because they were sited in Osogbo and Iragbiji and not Ede.

“It is sad that the Ademola Adeleke-led government continues to show that it lacks the requisite skill and character content to run the affairs of Osun. I will strongly advise the state government to stop playing politics with governance.”