Anti-Corruption: Why Aregbesola Must Be Probed As CSCEOS Alleges EFCC of complicity

A civil group, the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of
Osun State (CSCEOS) has declared that the National Assembly has the
right and power as part of its oversight functions, to probe the State
government finances under the watch of Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola in
line with section 62(1&2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, saying
that Mr. Aregbesola and Mr. Najeem Salaam and other twenty-five(25)
members of the Rubber Stamp State House of Assembly were ignorant of
the law and Constitutional provisions of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria. , adding that the bailout funds were special funds being
released to the State by the Federal Government for special matter of
payment of backlogs of salaries and pension and gratuties at the
material time.

It however alleged that the present crop of Twenty-Six (26) members of
the State House of Assembly, including its Speaker, were collaborators
of Aregbesola to divert the bailout funds meant for the payment of
backlogs of workers’ salaries, pension and grantuities, insisting
that the State government under Aregbesola’s watch still owed the
State workforce and retirees alike for the period of ten(10) to
eleven(11) months arrears of salaries and pension due with backlogs of
gratuities from 2008 to 2012 respectively which has negative impact on
the economy of the State.

Besides, the group reiterated its commitment to the anti-corruption
policy of the Federal Government under the watch of President
Muhammadu Buhari, noting that some All Progressives Congress (APC)
ruling State, particularly, Mr. Aregbesola of Osun State is not
interested in the anti-corruption posture of Buhari led
administration, alleging the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission(EFCC) of complicity with Aregbesola, for anti-graft
agency’s failure to make its financial crimes report of the present
administration in the State open to the public upon heap of evidences
submitted to EFCC’s office across the country, like her sister
organization, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other related
offence Commission(ICPC) on the diversion of bailout funds accrued to
the States by the Federal Government through the Central Bank of
Nigeria(CBN).

It also raised the alarm that Mr. Aregbesola had concluded arrangement
to divert the recently released N84billion Paris Club Excess Funds to
the State by the Federal Government, insisting that over six years of
Aregbesola’s administration in the State, had become the years of
disasters with social pains and pangs to the people of the State.

Addressing the Journalists and People of the State at the Opening of
the Two-Day Anti-Corruption Rally organized by CSCEOS in collaboration
with Forum of 2011/2012 Group of retirees, a Pressure group under the
Nigeria Union of Pensioners(NUP) Osun State Chapter, in support of
the Senate Committee on State and Local Governments Administration
Probe over illegal diversion of bailout funds accrued to the State by
the Federal Government and against the over six(6) years Bad
Governance of Rauf Aregbesola in the State in Osogbo on Wednesday, the
Leader of the group, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman, reiterated that
the National Assembly has every right to probe Aregbesola’s
mismanagement of funds and criminal diversion of bailout funds accrued
to the State in line with the Provision of the amended 1999
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Protest which took the protesters to the State House of Assemble
and they were chatting anti-Aregbesola’ songs, condemning the kangaroo
meeting of the State House of Assembly on the same day the Senate
Committee on State and Local Government Administration began their
investigation on the State government over the bailout funds.

According to the group, “If Rauf Aregbesola and his co-travelers had
not have hidden agenda on the diversion of bailout funds, why they are
jittery over the probe of the National Assembly. You will recall in
their media recently that Mr. Aregbesola and State House of Assembly
led by one Najeem Salaam have been shattering the probe panel of the
Upper Chamber of the National Assembly because they have hidden agenda
on the bailout funds and other funds accrued to the State from
Federation Account. We strongly condemned Aregbesola for insensitive
to the plight of the workers and retirees alike in the State. As we
are speaking here today, some members of our group (CSCEOS) and few
patriots in the State are ready to appear before the panel to tender
mind boggling documents on how Aregbesola diverted the bailout funds.

“The leaders and entire members of the Civil Societies Coalition for
the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) which cut across the length
and breadth of the State, are worried over the future of the State in
the hands of Aregbesola and his cohorts as Twenty-Six(26) members,
including Speaker, Najeem Salaam, of the State House of Assembly are
satisfied with the unconstitutional and illegal way and manner that
Aregbesola has been employed to govern the State in over Six(6) years
ago as Sole Administrator, without State Cabinet and non-conduct of
Local government election, huge domestic and foreign debts, diversion
of local government funds, non-payment of workers’ salaries, Pension
and gratuities for period of Ten(10) to Eleven(11) months, appointment
of Grade Level 14 as Council Managers instead of democratically
elected officials in the Local government areas of the State as
stipulated in the section 7 of the amended 1999 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, bastardization of Education and Health
sector of the State, Capital Flight to Lagos State, criminal
mismanagement of State funds, diversion of bailout funds, using State
funds to sponsor fruitless electoral process in another States of the
Federation since 2011 till date and other Constitutional breaches”.

While welcoming the Senate Committee on State and local Government
administration in Nigeria to the State , the group commended Senator
Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the Upper
Chamber of the National Assembly, for exposing Aregbesola over alleged
plan to divert the sum of N84billion Paris Club funds which Presidency
released to the State recently to pay the backlogs of the workers’
salaries and Pension due and other financial obligations