The immediate governor of Osun state, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola and his wife, Kafayat, including other former appointees in the last administration have been warned to return all assorted vehicles valued at N2.9 billion presently illegally in their possession or risk enforcement procedures.
The Assets Recovery Panel of the Osun State Government issued the threat in a statement made available by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed in Osogbo on Friday.
The statement stated that Oyetola alone has 11 vehicles ranging from Lexus Jeep, Toyota Prado jeeps, and assorted models of costly vehicles while the wife, Mrs. Kafayat also has in her possession several brands of governments vehicles which were taken away against provisions of the law.
He listed other former officials as; the immediate past Special Adviser on Security, former Chief Details, former Personal Assistant to the Governor, former special assistants to the Governor, former Senior special assistants, former special advisers, former local government caretaker chairmen, and members, former board chairmen and members, former Chief of Staff, former Deputy Chief of Staff, former Deputy Governor, former Secretary to the State Government, and former commissioners among others.
The Chairman of the Asset Recovery Committee, Dr. BT Salami reported that “due diligence has been conducted and the committee has concluded that the affected past officials should return government vehicles in their possession.
“This is the first batch of vehicles to be retrieved. We will soon come up with the second batch. All affected officials should return the vehicles in their possession immediately to avoid coercive procedures for recovery of State assets”, the Committee Chairman said.
“The former Deputy Governor has more than seven government vehicles in his custody contrary to the provisions of the law.”
He further directed that a serving Senator, Oriolowo should return five machines namely; motor grader, bulldozer, and soil compactor machine among others to the Osun State Agricultural Development Programme.
“All affected ex-officials are to urgently comply with the above request or risk enforcement procedures”.
The committee explained that the former officials had gone away with various models of vehicles without any legal basis for such action. As of today, ”there is no law that authorized any elected or appointed officials to go with state vehicles after completing their tenure of office.”