APC Accuses Adeleke Of Laying Claim To Projects Executed By Individuals

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun has been accused by the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress of laying claim to projects executed in the state by a private individual.

It would be recalled that Adeleke and his Edo State counterpart, Godwin Obaseki, on Tuesday inaugurated projects donated by Chief Olakanmi Sarumi in Ilesa, Osun State.

The Osun governor, at the event, urged other well-meaning Osun indigenes across the world to join the tax credit scheme for infrastructure development of the state.

He said, “I use this event as a point of contact with other well-meaning Osun indigenes at home and abroad to join the tax credit scheme for infrastructure development of our state. This window of opportunity is a veritable win-win situation for the state and its residents.”

But the APC in a statement signed by its chairman in Osun State, Mr Tajudeen Lawal a copy sighted by Osun Defender on Thursday, said the tax credit initiative that Adeleke mentioned relating to Ilesa projects, was a brainchild of his predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola, when he was the governor of the state.

Lawal said, “The government lacks ingenuity and creativity. The recent shenanigans in Ilesa where it adopted to play a fast game on the people of Osun State over projects fully funded by a private individual, Mr Rasheed Sarumi of Ilesa, is sour reminder to how low governance has sunk under the kick-and-start governor.

“It is disheartening that Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson would lie that some lofty projects that Governor Godwin Obaseki came all the way from Benin to commission was a product of Governor Adeleke’s recent Tax Credit initiative.

“The tax credit initiative as related to the Ilesa projects was a brain-child of ex-Governor Adegboyega Oyetola. It was conceptualised and implemented during his administration. In actual fact, the projects were phased into two parts with the first phase already completed and the second phase was at a 60 per cent completion stage as at the time the former governor exited government on November 26, 2022.

“While we will agree that the government is a continuum and there is a need to encourage the culture of continuity, it is distasteful that a governor would engage in falsehood to arrogate glory to himself over a project he knows nothing about, as Governor Adeleke has done in the case at hand.”

Responding to the APC, Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, noted that at no point was any claim made that the state government constructed the road, adding that the Governor was invited to commission the road project.

He continued, “In what way is it a crime for the state governor to honour a distinguished Osun citizen who is giving back to the society? Governor Adeleke has constructed over 55 kilometers of roads with another 45 kilometers in the pipelines. The administration has not and will claim projects that do not belong to the administration.

“Is the APC saying the Governor should not have encouraged the Sarumis and others to support community development by personally identifying with them? The current government is bridging the infrastructure deficit and it won’t be distracted by a party that failed woefully while in office.

“It is evidently clear that the sordid past of a rejected administration still weighs heavily on the opposition. Governor Adeleke is touching lives, upgrading infrastructures and rebuilding the state from the wreckage left behind by APC.”