‘Reasons Bola Oyebamiji Isn’t Fit to Be Osun Governor’

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The Osun State Governor’s Office has fired a major salvo at the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji, listing 23 reasons he is not fit to be the governor of the state.

 In a direct onslaught that might dictate the tone of the state governorship campaign, the Governor’s Office, through the spokesperson to the Governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, said the records and performance of the state Governor, Ademola Adeleke, are well known to the public, declaring that “it is time to expose why the APC candidate is not fit for the governorship.

“The APC candidate has three broad records on which his qualifications, competency, and suitability for the governorship can be assessed. Going by those three spaces, the candidate failed all the tests by all accounts.

“The governor will be opening up details of each of the points from March 11, when the campaigns will officially start. Abridged versions of those reasons are, however, provided below for the public to know: As the head of Osun State Investment Company (OSICOL), the APC candidate mismanaged the resources of Osun State, as evidenced in the handling of state properties in Lagos and Abuja. 

Stilll as OSICOL boss, Osun mining investments, especially the Segilola project, were managed in ways that deprived the state of its rightful shares and earnings until Governor Adeleke renegotiated and normalised Osun’s shareholding and earnings into the state treasury.

    He added: “As Finance Commissioner, he authorised the sale of Osun’s holding at Omoluabi to a proxy firm under a less-than-transparent process. While in the Finance Ministry, he pursued anti-worker measures by supporting the non-payment of pension debts and other entitlements of senior citizens. The APC candidate negotiated and endorsed extreme anti-worker policies by implementing half salaries for workers under the previous administration. As Commissioner for Finance, he retained Chams as payroll manager instead of activating the SIFMIS application for payroll management, thereby exposing the state to payroll fraud and waste.

    “As part of his anti-workers’ stance, he supported the decapitation of the public service through the non-appointment of Permanent Secretaries, non-payment of promotion allowances, and the promotion of general anti-labour initiatives.

    “Also, as the Finance Commissioner, he was a party and central to the failure of the judicious management of the World Bank $20 million primary healthcare grant, which later became a slush fund under the Oyetola administration. He mismanaged Osun State-owned mining licences, which were almost revoked until the intervention of Governor Adeleke.  He supervised capital flight out of Osun State to Lagos State, thereby depriving the state of local content opportunities.”

    The governor’s spokesperson further alleged that: “He failed to sustainably manage Osun’s debt, which was at an all-time high by 2022 until Governor Adeleke reduced the state debt stock by over 40 percent, as attested by the National Debt Management Office.

    “As Chairman of the Osun Procurement Board, he politicised and bastardised the procurement agency, installed his lackey, and ensured extensive violations of the law in several procurement authorisations.

    “He strangulated Osun State University of requisite funding, leading to the abandonment of several critical capital projects that were imperative for sustaining the university’s accreditation in several fields.”

    He added, “As a candidate, he is not sensitive to the religious diversity of Osun State, as he has demonstrated religious bigotry by pushing religious narratives in election campaigns. Critically, Mr. Oyebamiji has raised questions about his name, antecedents, and qualifications by dropping Munirudeen from his INEC filings.

    “Osun people do not deserve a man with all the above antecedents as a governor. Governor Adeleke, by all accounts, has demonstrated the capacity, passion, and innovative mind to take Osun State to even higher heights till 2030.”