The Osun State Government on Tuesday said all former political appointees who served in the administration of the immediate past governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, who illegally have in their possession official vehicles must return them.
The government also said it was illegal for the Head of Service to authorise any appointee to leave office with official vehicles.
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Wednesday, February 14, inaugurated a Task Force on Recovery of Assets/Government Project Vehicles.
At the event, Adeleke charged members of the Task Force to ensure the immediate recovery of government assets/project vehicles that were illegally taken away by the officials of the immediate past administration.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo on behalf of the committee on Tuesday, Secretary to the State Government, Mr Teslim Igbalaye, said some of those that went away with official vehicles relied on approval they got from ex-Head of Service, which he said was illegal.
Igbalaye said the law empowers the governor to allow political appointees to go home with official vehicles, provided certain conditions are met.
He further said, “At its meeting held on Tuesday, 5th March 2024, the Task Force observed as follows: i. That due diligence should be done with a view to ascertaining vehicles/assets that were lawfully permissible to be taken home from those illegally taken away;
“ii. The Executive Governor had the prerogative power to allow any political appointee to go home with his/her official vehicle, having served for at least two (2) years and payment of some amount of money into the coffers of the government, and if the vehicle was less than four (4) years old, the appointee would pay 10% of the residual value of such official vehicle;
“iii. That the approval granted by the immediate past Executive Governor for the release and eventual ownership of the official vehicles (Kia cars) allocated to members of the immediate past Osun State Executive Council followed due process; and
“iv. That the letter of permission written by the immediate past Head of Service, directing political appointees of the immediate past administration to go home with the official vehicles allocated to them was, however, illegal.
“Consequently, all government assets/ vehicles that are hitherto in the possession of the political appointees of the immediate past administration, which are not captured in the express provisions of paragraphs ii and iii above, are deemed to have been illegally carted away, and such must be returned to the Osun State Government immediately.”
But the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress while reacting, said the state government refused to do its homework properly when it initially accused all appointees of the immediate past administration of Adegboyega Oyetola of going away with vehicles duly approved for them after they left office.
Speaking further, the spokesperson of the party in the state, Mr Kola Olabisi said, “They should cover their faces in shame. Why the initial blanket accusation that Oyetola appointees went away with official vehicles?
“They should have properly checked their records. We are not supporting any illegal action, but the lack of coordination of this administration should be a thing of concern even for them.
“We only want to advise them against any illegal action. The committee set up is not a law court. They should not attempt to seize vehicles from rightful owners. That may land them in trouble.”