The Omoluabi Progressives, a political group with former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as its patron, has defended the debts incurred during his administration from 2010 to 2018, describing them as strategic investments rather than financial recklessness.
In a statement issued by the group’s Organising and Publicity Secretary, Oluwaseun Abosede, the group emphasized that the funds were channelled into long-term infrastructural projects that would now cost significantly more to execute, given current economic challenges and inflation.
This defence came in response to comments made by Olawale Rasheed, spokesperson to Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who recently described Aregbesola’s tenure as the worst in the state’s history. Rasheed also accused the former governor, now the Interim National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress of declaring his intention to unseat Adeleke during a political rally held in Osogbo on Sunday.
Rasheed further criticised Aregbesola’s administration for leaving behind massive debts and implementing a modulated salary structure that saw civil servants receiving half payments.
Reacting, Abosede said the current administration had lost focus and was resorting to political scapegoating. “The desperation of those occupying the state’s leadership is glaring. The media outbursts by Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson reflect the confusion and lack of direction within the current government,” he stated.
Abosede dismissed the claims of reckless borrowing, explaining that the modulated salary regime was not punitive but a tough decision reached through consensus with labour unions due to economic strain at the time. He cited plummeting oil revenues and the alleged daily theft of 400,000 barrels of crude oil as major factors that reduced government earnings and impacted salary payments nationwide.
He also noted that Aregbesola’s financial management had been thoroughly reviewed and cleared during his ministerial screening at the National Assembly, further validating his integrity and transparency in public service.
Commenting on the warm reception Aregbesola received during his recent visit to Osun, Abosede said, “The enthusiastic welcome he received without incentives or mobilised crowds speaks volumes. It is a genuine show of affection by the same people some claim he failed.”
Abosede urged the Adeleke administration to prioritize governance over political vendettas. “A previous governor spent his tenure attacking Aregbesola and ended up defeated. The same path of distraction and blame will lead to the same outcome,” he warned.
He concluded by advising the public to ignore what he called Adeleke’s desperate attempts to distract from real issues facing the state.
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