APC Accuses Adeleke’s CoS Of Fraudulently Cornering N297m TETFUND Contract

• Allegations False, Malicious – Adeleke’s Spokesperson

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for the investigation and prosecution of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s Chief of Staff, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, over his alleged abuse of office.

A statement issued by Director of Media and Information of the party, Kola Olabisi, on Friday, alleged Akinleye of using his office and closeness to Governor Adeleke to fraudulently corner a N297m TETFUND contract at the state-owned university, UNIOSUN.

Olabisi said Akinleye’s actions “did not conform to the highest standards of public morality and accountability” as he allegedly used his position to secure the contract for his company, AKINKAS INTERBIZ LIMITED.

Olabisi said Akinleye’s justification that he resigned from the company as a director on September 1st, 2022, shortly after he was appointed the Chief of Staff does not hold water, as the management of the company still revolves around the members of his immediate family.

READ: Controversy Over Newly Procured Tractors In Osun

The APC called on the Code of Conduct Bureau to “invite, investigate and possibly prosecute” Akinleye, citing the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“We appeal to all patriots within and outside the state to rise above political sentiments and speak vehemently against this clear abuse of powers and contravention of the procurement laws of the state,” Olabisi added.

In a swift reaction, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson to Governor Adeleke, described the allegation as malicious, falsehood and an attempt to cause public disorder

Rasheed said the accusations is baseless as the Chief of Staff has not in anyway violated any provisions of the Code of Conduct or any other extant laws for that matter.

“Our attention has been drawn to another ridiculous concoction by the All Progressive Congress.accusing the Chief of Staff to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Hon Kazeem Akinleye of breach of code of Conduct over an alleged TEFUND contract”

“We affirm again that the accusation is baseless as the Chief of Staff has not violated any provisions of the Code of Conduct or any other extant laws for that matter”

“As a public officer, the Chief of Staff has not deployed his office to, in whatever ways, favour himself especially as he is not a member of the.governing board of Osun State University nor a member of the board of directors of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND)”

“Specifically too, Hon Akinleye has ceased to be a director of the mentioned company long before his appointment as the Chief of Staff and so cannot in any way be held accountable for the business operations of the.said company”

“The Chief of Staff has never sat at any meeting or board deliberation where such a contract was determined and is therefore by all accounts not in breach of any provisions of the Code of Conduct or any subsisting laws of the land”

“The defamatory publication is therefore a reflection of what we noted earlier that the state APC has run out of ideas to tackle the superlative delivery of service by the Adeleke government and is now resorting to cheap blackmail and outright fake news”

“We note with disdain the reprehensible desperation of the opposition to destroy the vibrant and world class Osun State University which is running its affairs in line with best practices and in compliance with its establishment laws”

“We equally decry the failed attempt of the opposition to distract the state government of which Hon Akinleye is a critical actor, from its many laudable delivery of good governance and democratic dividends”

“We assert with all evidence that Hon Akinleye has not in any way abused his office as he mainly applied himself to discharging his mandated duties as the Chief of Staff to the Governor which does not include contract awards.”

Osun Defender recalls that Public Servants in Nigeria have been emershed in similar corruptions scandals in recent time. Nigeria’s Minister of Interior serving in the regime of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo was allegedly discovered to have also used his company to obtained a N438m contract from the ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

The company, New Planet Projects, allegedly belonging to the minister benefitted from an alleged contract scam from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

Following the discovery, the Code of Conduct Bureau invited the minister for investigation citing alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers .