Oluwole Oke, a member of the House of Representatives representing the Obokun/Oriade federal constituency in Osun State, has apologized to former Governor Gboyega Oyetola following a petition submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by one of his constituents.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Oke expressed his disapproval of the Osun State Government’s petition to the anti-corruption agency.
The petition alleges that Oyetola, now the Minister of Blue Economy, misappropriated a $20 million World Bank health grant during his tenure as governor, as reported by PUNCH Online.
Oke, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urged the EFCC to disregard the petition filed by a lawyer acting on behalf of the Osun State Government.
He stated, “Apologies to Gboyega Oyetola over a petition written to EFCC by one of my supposed constituents.”
The lawmaker stressed that while lawyers have the right to accept briefs from anyone, including government officials, it is unethical to use such briefs to tarnish people’s reputations.
Oke also highlighted that the Osun State House of Assembly has a Public Accounts Committee and an independent Office of the Auditor General, which are tasked with monitoring government spending.
He argued that if any misappropriations are found, they should be reported to the legislature, which has the authority to take action.
“If the Auditor General’s Office has completed its audit and submitted a report to the Parliament, the legislature should present it, and anyone found guilty can then face prosecution,” Oke stated.
He concluded by questioning how the federal government could trust state leaders if they continue to engage in such actions.
Punch
