Ismail Omipidan, the spokesman for the immediate-past governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, has countered claims by the governor of the state, Ademola Adeleke, accusing Mr Oyetola of looting government house properties.
The current administration has accused the former governor, his deputy, and top aides of carting away government properties, including official vehicles, building fittings, and kitchen utensils.
But Mr Ompidan, while addressing journalists in Osogbo on Wednesday, expressed disappointment over the claims.
He said Mr Adeleke should have been guided by the record of the inventory taken before the formal handover of the items in the governor’s lodge and presidential quarters in Government House, respectively.
He averred that it was ungodly for Mr Adeleke’s stooges to have raised a false alarm over an action taken by them, saying it is on record that the new government took over the possession of the Government House a day to the inauguration.
He said the looting allegation was ridiculous, noting that it was intended to soil the reputable image of his principal.
“it is reported that, on the 26th of November, 2022, about 1400 hours, a team of the Protocol Department, Osun State Governor’s Office, Abere, led by Mr. FALODE, in company of two (2) officers of the Department of State Services (DSS), namely Usman ADEDIRAN and Sunday Posu, painstakingly took the inventory of items in the above mentioned places.”
“The items were thereafter handed over to A. UMALE and Pius AKPAN, DSS personnel, and security details of the new governor, ADEMOLA ADELEKE, without any complaint.
“It is noteworthy that nothing suggests that any of the items in the buildings were carted away, as all were intact as at the time of handing over. Attached herewith is a list of items in both buildings. And they went on to list the items one by one, covering 8 pages. In the inventory, among the items listed are: a 6-face Big Gas Cooker with Oven and a 4-face Kenstar Cooker with Oven, among others.
“It is, therefore, ridiculous to accuse my principal of taking away spoons, cookers, and methylated spirits. From the foregoing, if there was any looting as claimed by the agents of the new government, then we should look in their direction.
“They cannot take over and then come to raise the alarm 72 hours later that there was looting in the same place where they held their inauguration party on Sunday, November 27.
“If they think this is how to pay a man who gave his all for four years so that Osun could be brought to reckoning, God our Creator, who is not a God of hypocrisy, will pay them in their own coin appropriately,” Mr Omipidan said.
The spokesperson also slammed Mr Adeleke and his men for their failure to protect all the items bequeathed to them by the administration of Mr Oyetola, just as he queried why it took them 72 hours after they had formally taken over the property before raising the allegation of looting.
The spokesperson described his principal as a man of impeccable character and asked, “How on earth will any right-thinking person accuse him of stealing things as cheap as spoons, methylated spirit, cookers, and emptying the First Aid Box?”
