The Asset Recovery Committee of the Osun State Government has uncovered another N1.5 billion worth of vehicles the former state officials bolted away with after their exit from office.
This was coming just a day after the first batch of diverted vehicles valued at about N2.9 billion in possession of former Governor Oyetola, his deputy, wife and other top officials were released to the public.
The All Progressives Congress had admitted the former government officials converted the listed vehicles for their private uses, citing a non-existing law and confirming the former Governor indeed illegally dashed away government vehicles.
The Committee through its Chairman, Dr B.T. Salami have today issued new directive for the retrieval of another batch of vehicles numbering 55 with an estimated value of N1.5 billion.
” We have uncovered another batch of diverted vehicles numbering 55. Those in possession of those vehicles should return them forthwith”, he directed.
Among the assorted vehicle models are Kia Sportage numbering 40, Toyota Hilux, Prado Jeeps, Toyota Avensis, Nissan Pathfinder Jeeps, Toyota Highlander, Ford Transit numbering seven among others.
Ex-officials holding the affected vehicles include Oyetola’s commissioners and Special Advisers, Head of Service, Chief executive of some government agencies.
These categories of ex-officials are directed to return the vehicles in their possession before the administration trigger repossession operations, the Committee Chairman insisted.
Meanwhile, the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has expressed shock and indignation at the false legal claim to appropriate state vehicles made by the state’s All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that ” there is no law in Osun books that empowers a Governor and cronies to bolt away with state vehicles.
“It is embarrassing reading the opposition citing a fake law when in reality there is no state or federal law that support such brazen act of diversion. By openly admitting such diversion of public properties to private use, the ex-officials are culpable before the law”.
“We submit that a tradition of ex-officials going away with their official vehicles is a corruption ridden custom which is not known before the law. Using a supposed tradition to divert almost N4billion vehicles for private use is reprehensible and unacceptable.
“We commend the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke for issuing retrieval directive through the Chairman of the Assets Recovery Committee. Osun people expect nothing but that the ex-officials return the vehicles as urgently as possible”, the State Caretaker Chairman of PDP, Dr Akindele Adekunle stated.
