Speaker, Family members using pseudonym companies to receive multi-billion contracts from Adeleke — Osun APC alleges

…Urges anti-graft agencies to wade in

…PDP refutes allegations

By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo

The All Progressives Congress, (APC), in Osun State, has berated Governor Ademola Adeleke for awarding multi million naira infrastructural projects to his elder brother, Dr. Deji Adeleke; his son, David Adeleke, popularly known as ‘Davido; Deputy Speaker, Akinyode Abidemi Oyewusi among others.

The opposition party in the state scolded the governor for continuously running the affairs of the state as private enterprise of Adeleke’s dynasty, decrying the gross violation of the 2015 Public Procurement Law of the state in the award of the contracts worth about N50bn to entities with no professional and technical competence.

This is even as the party called on the anti-graft agencies, particularly Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to come to the aid of the state.

The APC raised the allegations on Tuesday at a Press Conference addressed by its Chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, held at Tinubu/ Shettima campaign office, Osogbo.

Lawal accused Adeleke of flagrant disobedience of extant laws and gross violation of the 2015 Public Procurement Law of the state in the award of the contracts to entities with no background in road construction.

According to him, the financial injection through the supposed infrastructure is being circumvented and cornered by the Adeleke family using business names of Dr. Deji Adeleke and lawmaker from Ife North State constituency of Osun State, Hon. Akinyode Abidemi Oyewumi.

“Tongues are currently wagging in Osun State that the billionaire brother of Governor Adeleke, Dr Deji Adeleke and his son, Mr David Adeleke a.k.a. ‘Davido’ are interested parties in the touted multi-billion naira road and flyover projects using inactive and inexperienced  companies to front them.

“It is bizarre that two companies founded by the incumbent Deputy Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Mr Akinyode Abidemi Oyewusi, were recently awarded road construction contracts by the Government of Osun State.

“The Osun State Deputy Speaker is the founder of Raregeode Company Limited and Acumen Forte Limited, two companies awarded road projects by Governor Adeleke to the tune of N9 billion, he was a shareholder in the two companies as at the time the contracts were awarded; while members of his family were also Person(s) with Significant Interest in the two companies, which is contrary to the public procurement law of Osun State.

“By virtue of the PPA Law of 2015, it amounts to unholy conflict of interest that a leader of the state House of Assembly will, through the back door, use two companies founded by him and where he is still a shareholder and members of his family are still holding principal directing positions, to bid for public contracts.

“For the fact that this seemingly unpatriotic action of Mr Oyewusi grossly violates provisions of the state’s procurement law, he should resign his membership of the state House of Assembly outright and hand himself over to the anti-graft agency for prosecution.

“Again, it is strange that the Ademola Adeleke Government awarded public contracts to companies with no history of road construction. There is no verifiable evidence that Raregeode Company Limited, Acumen Forte Limited and the three companies engaged for the road construction, namely: Ascorj Integrated Nigeria Ltd, Great Enyork Technology Limited and Enginec Engineering Limited, have the capacity and experience for such whooping contracts.

“The contracts were not only gifted to mushroom companies, they were gifted at insane costs. Even in the Niger Delta states where topology is unfriendly, contracts are not awarded at N2.5bn per kilometer as Governor Adeleke has done in the instance of Osun.

“We want to use this medium to call on the anti-graft agencies, especially the ICPC and EFCC, to immediately move in their men to Osun State in order to halt the reckless mismanagement of public fund which is now endemic under the government of Senator Ademola Adeleke,” Lawal asserted.

The APC frayed Adeleke’s style of governance which it described as anti-masses saying “while Governor Adeleke and members of his family are lining their pockets with public fund, the people of Osun State suffer untold hardship on account of lack of palliatives and welfare programmes from the government of the state.”

The party inferred that it is paradoxical that despite the fact that the monthly allocations from the federation account since May last year have doubled, Osun State Government under the leadership of Governor Adeleke has flagrantly refused to complement the palliatives provided by the Federal Government to cushion the debilitating effects of the removal of the oil subsidy.

“Under Governor Adeleke, the state is now described in the media as the Poverty Headquarters of Yorubaland as all micro-economic indices have isolated Osun State in the South-West as the poorest. Ever since the current socio-economic challenges erupted, the Adeleke hegemony has never directly intervened to ease the global and national trauma,” the party stated.

Lawal also debunked the PDP’s allegations against the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, of using his position and closeness to the President to destabilise the state saying the false alarm confirmed the palpable ineptness in Adeleke’s government.

“Rather than facing governance and providing solutions to the problems bedeviling the state, the government of Osun State is busy playing petty politics, manufacturing lies to tarnish the enviable image of our party leaders. You will recall that the leadership of the PDP in the state led by one political mascot in a statement accused Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, of using his closeness to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to destabilise the state.

“We want to state pointedly here as a party that there is no basis for such accusation as it was not only misplaced but unfounded as the peace-loving marine minister is preoccupied with how to complement the efforts of President Tinubu in the realization of his Renewed Hope Agenda in the interest of the generality of the people of this nation,” the party added.

…PDP refutes allegations

Meanwhile, the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) has denied allegations that Governor Ademola Adeleke awarded multi-billion naira contracts to members of his family.

Reacting to the allegation made by the state All Progressives Congress, APC, on Tuesday evening during a press briefing at the party Secretariat, the chairman of the PDP, Hon Sunday Bisi said there is no established link of any of the companies to Dr. Deji Adeleke or his son, David Adeleke (Davido).

Bisi said further that the Osun State Government released details of companies awarded the first phase of the projects in the multi-billion naira infrastructure plan of the state few weeks ago, saying all companies have undergone rigorous scrutiny of journalists and conscious citizens.

He said, “We understand the perilous situation of the Osun APC but we expect them to at least be reasonable in the quest to manufacture lies. Dr. Deji Adeleke is a renowned businessman with a series of successful ventures and has no reason whatsoever to be hiding behind anyone to engage in a legitimate business.

“We take the reckless accusation of the Osun APC as a failed strategy to drag the serial investor into their shameless rhetoric and we enjoin the public to totally discountenance this irresponsible blackmail attempt by the feckless opposition in Osun state.

“The same thing goes for Mr. David Adeleke, a thriving musician but which the Osun APC is trying to smear with lies and reckless assumptions.

“It is on record that as at the time when Raregeode Company Limited and Acumen Forte Limited won the bid and were awarded contracts for the various projects, the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. AKINYODE ABIDEMI OYEWUSI has ceased to have any role in the two companies.

“The public are advised to note the March 20, 2023, resignation letter of Rt. Hon. AKINYODE ABIDEMI OYEWUSI, relinquishing control over the two companies in line with the provisions of the law. As long as he has resigned his interest in the company, there is no encumbrance or illegality on the side of the Deputy Speaker.

“We only cited a few of the falsehoods and fake news of the APC.

“We stand by the statement we issued on Monday about the disruptive activities of Mr Oyetola. On the contrary, Governor Adeleke is a law abiding, peaceful politician who has taken Osun to greater heights.

“Mr Governor is a pan-Nigerian leader who is working closely with President Tinubu to resolve challenges facing the nation. Minister Oyetola should support Mr President rather than disrupting and undermining the peace of the state and ongoing good governance delivery in Osun state,” he said.