Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson to Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Osun Masterminds, a Civil Society Organization are currently trading words over the federal government fertilizer palliatives sent to Osun State.
The CSO had during its June edition of State of the State Address, called on the Osun State government to be fair and transparent in the sharing of the fertilizer, which according to the organization, has been partially delivered to the state.
The Osun Masterminds also charged Governor Adeleke to ensure contractors handling road projects in Osogbo deliver good jobs.
Reacting to the call, Rasheed in a statement made available for newsmen, described the group as being mischievous and partisan.
He said, “How do you start sharing fertilizers that are still arriving in the state? What better way to be transparent than the statement from the state government on arrivals including the number of trucks?
“We note that the group is being mischievous and partisan as usual as it still finds it hard to abandon its old root as an appendage of the opposition during the pre-2022 election.
“Another example of the group’s hypocrisy is the reference to Dele Yes sir road. The Iwo – Osogbo road was awarded to Peculiar Ultimate Concerns by former Governor Gboyega Oyetola. The project is still ongoing and the contractor has done only about 30 percent of the job.
“As an inherited project, the state government has been monitoring the execution of the project for quality assurance and the contract cannot be terminated unless there is concrete proof of infraction. Any termination based on hearsay and political allegations may land the state in costly litigation.
“The state government is enforcing the highest level standard on the ongoing constructions across the state including the Lameco-Okefia dualisation and flyover bridges. So far, there is no evidence, technical or otherwise of any work under the infra plan being substandard. The government has zero tolerance for substandard work and we affirm that the projects are being supervised by top quality and certified engineers.
“The administration noticed that criticisms from groups like Masterminds are borne out of political partisanship and confusion occasioned by the widely acknowledged good performance of Governor Adeleke.”
Responding Adeleke’s image maker, the CSO in a statement by Prof. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, its Executive Director, charged Rasheed to enroll for a Public Relations course, describing it as his attitude to brand any opposing view opposition members.
Oyedokun-Alli said, “The public is first advised to note a pattern with Rasheed’s public engagement. He has made a habit of branding critics of the Adeleke government as opposition figures, instead of addressing whatever issues are raised. He is an artful dodger of intelligent conversations, known to resort to blackmail, mudslinging and the use of unintelligent words.
He unleashed the same pattern on us in his response to our June 2024 State of the State address, wherein we advised the Adeleke government to ensure fairness, transparency, and sincerity in the distribution of fertilizers recently disbursed to the States. We specifically mentioned that eleven trucks had been received out of thirty expected. We were thus surprised that instead of speaking to the formula that government will use to distribute, to allay our fears, Rasheed in his characteristic ‘Agbero’ behaviour, decided to rush into the gutter and roll in mud.
“We are aware that the fertilizers received constitute just the first batch of the total expected. We insist however, that the distribution, whether of this first batch, or of the entire batch, must be with fairness, transparency, and sincerity. There must be no political coloration to the distribution and only true farmers, especially in rural communities, must benefit.”
“Yes, the Oyetola government awarded the Dele Yes Sir dualization, as part of the Osogbo-Ibadan road reconstruction. But, Oyetola ceased to be Governor since November 2022, and almost two years after, the Contractor is still moving at snail speed, refusing to promptly fulfill the terms of the contract. Is the Adeleke government too weak to call an erring contractor to order? If project delivery time is already exceeded and quality of work is clearly sub-par, are those not enough grounds for termination of contract?
Assuming, without conceding, that there are truly genuine reasons for which the ongoing projects are moving at snail speed, should Rasheed not have addressed those reasons instead of the lengthy hubris he released as a response to us?
“Finally, we notice with great excitement, how Rasheed laced all of the lines in his release with accusations of partisanship. We are not surprised. In fact, we would be surprised if he acted any better. He has labeled anybody and everybody who has dared to criticize the Adeleke government, instead of advancing intellectual engagements.”
