Fraud: Allegations Against Akinleye Will Not Stop Prosecution Of Oyetola’s Aides – Adeleke To APC
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has dismissed allegations made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) against his Chief of Staff, Hon. Kazeem Akinleye, emphasizing that such accusations will not impede the prosecution of former officials from the Oyetola administration.
The APC had accused Akinleye of abusing his office to fraudulently secure a N297 million TETFUND contract at the state-owned Osun State University (UNIOSUN) for his company, AKINKAS INTERBIZ LIMITED.
Kola Olabisi, APC’s Director of Media and Information, criticized Akinleye for allegedly manipulating his position to benefit personally and claims that his resignation from the company shortly before his appointment does not absolve him of wrongdoing, given his family’s ongoing involvement with the company.
But a statement on Monday by Mallam Olawale Rasheed, spokesperson for Governor Adeleke, stated that these accusations are a diversion from the real issue—widespread contract fraud committed by former top officials of the previous administration.
Rasheed asserted that the forensic investigation and subsequent findings by the state’s contract review committee, led by Hon. Kolapo Alimi, have produced substantial evidence against several former officials.
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He disclosed that these officials are expected to face prosecution for their role in corrupt practices involving multi-million-dollar projects, including road construction and health center rehabilitations.
Rasheed contended that the APC’s attempts to discredit current administration officials, including Akinleye, are futile and will not obstruct the legal processes set in motion.
He assured the public that the administration remains committed to enforcing accountability and adhering to due process, despite the opposition’s efforts to spread falsehoods.
The statement reads in full; “The diversionary accusation against the Chief of Staff, Hon Kazeem Akinkeye will not stop the imminent prosecution of many former top officials of the Oyetola administration over infractions in contract handling in the last government, Spokesperson to the Governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed has declared.
“The state APC is dead scared of the conclusions of the forensic investigation of the state contract review committee and the white paper implementation committee headed by Hon Kolapo Alimi which evidentially indicted many former top officials of the last government
The state APC is probably aware that the details of the many contract frauds , the companies used in perpetrating those fraudulent schemes and their directors are already in possession of the implementation committee which is now set to move to stage of prosecution.
“The detailed materials available to the committee and the reality that those top officials indicted cannot escape the long arms of the law motivated the failed strategy of the APC to malign top administration officials including the Chief of Staff, Hon Kazeem Akinleye.
“Unknown to the opposition, the implementation committee has secured incontrovertible evidence of contract scam against former state officials under the last government and no amount of fake news will stop the imminent prosecution to retrieve looted state resources.
“The contacts in questions cover roads and the $20 million dollar health centers rehabilitation projects for which so many infractions were uncovered from serial breach of procurement process to usage of several companies on which Oyetola’s top officials were directors.
“The implementation committee under a deep sighted Barrister, Kolapo Alimi will soon swing into action to enforce accountability on behalf of Osun people from those who actually abused their office to loot state resources.
“We posit that no amount of falsehood, baseless allegations and outright fake news will deter the administration from pursuing public interest to a logical conclusion as all material evidence confirm that Hon Akinleye has not violated any provisions of the Code of Conduct, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the ICPC 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, favor himself especially as he is neither 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 had effectively ceased to be a director of the mentioned company ever 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 any subsisting laws of the land.
“While urging the public to discountenance the failed men of yesterday, we restate the commitment of the administration to upholding and enforcing due process, best practices and procurement laws.”
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
