The Governor-elect in Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, has alleged that there were plans by the outgoing government in the state to cripple his administration by ensuring that all monies in government coffers, both strategic and from stabilisation accounts are spent in the next couple of weeks.
Mankinde alleged that the move was to stall the smooth takeoff of his administration.
Makinde in a statement signed by his spokesman, Prince Dotun Oyelade and made available to DAILY POST on Monday said that “he is aware of questionable special projects for which N2, 475m have been hurriedly released for each of the 33 local governments and similar amount released to the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OSTROMA) for the same purpose totalling four billion, nine hundred and fifty million naira”.
He added that, “the money was taken from the Excess Crude oil Account and released through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
“While government is a continuum, frenetic release of government funds in unusual circumstances is worrisome especially if it is not in the normal bureaucratic pattern”.
Makinde said his administration has a plan in place for phased recruitment when it gets into office, “but will reject the mischievous planned mass recruitment by the outgoing government to increase the financial load of the incoming administration and stunt it’s smooth take off”.
He maintained that he and his team “are keeping track of goings on at the state banks and the civil servants collaborators and will take bold steps to correct all anomalies”.
But, the state government said that it will not be stampeded into inactivity.
Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogu in a statement made available to DAILY POST said, “We will not be stampeded into inactivity”.
He added that, “The Oyo State Government hereby wishes to react to the unfounded and mischievous allegation of emptying the treasury by the spokesperson of Engr. Seyi Makinde.
“Ordinarily, Government should ignore the antics of the spokesperson of the Governor Elect in the state since the path of calumny is one in which he treads with absolute familiarity.
“The Oyo State Government therefore for the umpteenth time wishes to implore members of the public to ignore the inflammatory statements of the serial propangadist. We refuse to trade words with him any further.
“For the avoidance of doubt however, we hereby state unequivocally that the accusations are not only patently false but are figments of his imagination The State Government’s earlier statement on a related matter on the siphoning of funds subsists. Meanwhile, let it be reiterated that the mandate of the Ajimobi administration will not lapse until the 28th of May 2019.
“Therefore no amount of sabre-rattling will cause the Government to fold its hands counting days instead of making the remainder of its days count.”
