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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
A group, The Osun Masterminds, has called on the Minister of Interior and former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, to explain the reason why the state got a negative allocation of minus N375million from the FAAC in
February 2022.
Noting that Osun may soon become insolvent debtors, the group said several actions of the Osun State Government under the Aregbesola government were inspired by “wastefulness, corruption and in some other cases, overambitious emboldened by arrogant ignorance.”
Addressing Journalists in Osogbo, the Executive Director of the group, Dr. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, said the financial mismanagement, part of which was raised by Justice Folahanmi Oloyede in 2015, have affected several areas of the lives of the people and effectively inhibiting the growth and development of the State.
“In the month ended February 2022, Osun State Government received a negative allocation of -375million from the FAAC, out of a possible 1.45billion. The implication of this is that the State will be paying back an extra sum of 375million from next month’s allocations, plus the deductions already waiting in that month.
“While we understand that increasing figures of fuel subsidy has beaten down monthly allocations to various arms of government, the more worrisome implications of this to Osun State is the fact that as the Federation’s finances worsen, Osun will become more incapable of meeting its debt obligations, let alone have any money left to run the State.
“There is an even more disturbing possibility. Now that we have the sum of N375million to repay from March allocation, as make up for shortage in deduction for February, it is clear that shortages in deduction of this nature may continue to accumulate if the Federation’s finances do not improve. This means that monthly, Osun will continue to get allocation deficits that are higher in figure than the last. The worst therefore, may not yet be seen.
“If the State proceeds in this manner, it will steadily progress into insolvency and eventually, total bankruptcy.”
Noting that Aregbesola spent over N3.5billion on MKO Abiola airport without success, the group challenged Governor Adegboyega Oyetola to speak out on the financial status of the state and probably probe past administrations’ financial actions.
In a counter-reaction, ‘The Progressives Minded Forum, accused the state government of sponsoring The Masterminds, to discredit Aregbesola.
The group, in a press release signed by its Coordinator, Sunday Oriowo, on Tuesday, accused some government officials of mobilizing some people who were to disguise as pensioners to protest against Aregbesola when he came to the state to represent President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning of 72-unit housing estate in Osogbo, on Monday.
“Having failed in the first plan, the government activated its second plan by engaging ‘The Masterminds’, a group known for its hypocrisy, money-driven opinion and financially induced press conferences, to launch attack on the Minister, in a desperate bid to discredit his official assignment in Osogbo.”
The group expressed displeasure over the failure of The Masterminds to talk on the nondisclosure of N11.9bn refund to the Osun State government on federal government project executed by Aregbesola, but rather continue to blame the former governor for the debt.
