Adeleke, Osun APC in trade words over Ilesa road project commissioning

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has made public its belief that Governor Ademola Adeleke has been utilizing dishonest means to govern the state.

The Osun APC also warned Governor Adeleke not to try to acquire favor with the state’s naive citizens by promising them benefits they have not earned.

Tajudeen Lawal, chairman of the Osun APC, released a statement on Thursday accusing the governor of inviting Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo State, to commission a road in Ilesa.

After being commissioned under the premise that it was a result of Adeleke’s recent Tax Credit Initiative, the party revealed that the road in question was sponsored entirely by an individual, Rasheed Sarumi, an Ijesa man.

The recent shenanigans in Ilesa, where it adopted to play a fast game on the people of Osun State over projects entirely sponsored by a private individual, Mr. Rasheed Sarumi of Ilesa, is a nasty reminder to how low governance has gone under the kick-and-start governor,” said Lawal.

It’s disappointing that Adeleke’s spokesman would spread false information that the impressive buildings that Benin’s governor traveled to Nigeria to dedicate were funded by Adeleke’s new tax credit program. This is a dangerous fabrication that no respectable government would ever consider spreading.

No falsehood is too humiliating, rude, or irresponsible for them to glamorize in Governor Adeleke’s desperate quest to shore up the bad public impression of his person and government.

“Former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola conceived up the tax credit program that applies to the Ilesa projects. It was during his presidency that the plan was conceived and put into action.

Actually, the projects were split into two phases, the first of which was finished by the time the former governor left office on November 26th, 2022, and the second of which was only 60% complete.

While acknowledging the continuity of government, Lawal disclosed that photographic evidences exist of former Governor Oyetola’s Works Commissioner on the site, Engr Remi Omowaiye, proving without a reasonable doubt that Governor Adeleke lied openly about the beginnings of the road contract.

In response, Governor Adeleke said (via spokesman Olawale Rasheed) that the state government had built more than 55 kilometers of roads and is soliciting private donations to help make up for the shortfall.

Rasheed stated that the businessman invited Governor Adeleke to officially open the road, and that the state government made no claims that it built the road.

While dedicating the road, Governor Adeleke praised Sarumi for his volunteer work and called on other well-off persons and state residents to follow in his footsteps.

A similar sentiment was expressed by Edo state’s governor, Godwin Obaseki, who said that Sarumi should serve as an example for other business leaders in the state.

A notable Osun resident who is making positive contributions to society was honored by the governor of the state. Over 55 kilometers of new roads have been built thanks to Governor Adeleke, and an additional 45 kilometers are currently in the planning stages. The government has not claimed any projects that are not its responsibility, and it has no plans to start doing so.

Is the APC implying that the governor shouldn’t have used his personal connection to the Sarumi community to inspire others to invest in their neighborhood? The present administration is repairing the country’s crumbling infrastructure without becoming sidetracked by the failures of the previous administration.