The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed a claim by the state government that former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, and members of his team went away with vehicles worth N2.9 billion in November.
The Osun State Assets Recovery Panel headed by Dr. Bashiru Salami had on Friday directed Oyetola, his wife, and other former state officials to return official vehicles in their possession.
The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, had shortly after his inauguration on November 27, set up the committee to recover all government properties in the state.
However, in a statement issued by its Media Director in the state, Kola Olabisi, APC insisted that the panel’s reports cannot be trusted as they had been prepared before the team’s inauguration.
The statement read: “Take a look at the video attached; you will observe the vehicles they announced that they are looking for are already being used by the current deputy governor. Yet, they claimed they did due diligence.
“Should we continue to believe characters like that? How did they come about the cost? Are they using the current market value, or how?
“Talking about this particular panel, have they concluded their sitting? When was their report submitted? We asked these questions because only two days ago, the governor was quoted to have said any of the former political appointees that wanted his November salary should return the vehicle in his custody.
“Or is that also part of the recommendations of the panel? For clarity’s sake, the former governor and his deputy, by law and convention, are entitled to certain privileges and these are well-documented. Apart from those vehicles which their offices permit them to take home, they never took any other item.
“As for the commissioners and other appointees who are also statutorily entitled, the governor formally approved their used official vehicles to them as a gift for their meritorious service to the state since they are not entitled to either pension or gratuity.
“It is also important to point out that this gesture is not limited to political appointees alone, as in the past, career officers had also been allowed to go home with their used vehicles as gifts on retirement for serving the state meritoriously.”