OSOGBO, Nigeria — Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has come under heavy criticism from the All Progressives Congress, APC, for appointing himself as the Commissioner of Works.
The APC has labelled the governor’s move as a glaring demonstration of greed and an aversion to accountability and integrity.
Tajudeen Lawal, the Osun State Chairman of the APC, expressed his party’s condemnation in a statement issued on Thursday, July 20, 2023, in Osogbo, the state capital.
He warned that the governor’s actions forebode an impending “monumental catastrophe”.
“We all know who the real unveiled Commissioner for Works is,” Lawal said. He implied that the governor’s reluctance to name the actual commissioner stems from a fear of public reaction.
Lawal further accused the governor of acting as a rubber stamp, claiming that Adeleke only appends his signature on documents without understanding their contents.
“The unnamed commissioner for works has been treating the government files in the company of the governor’s chaperon in her Ede country home since the inception of this administration,” he alleged.
The APC chairman also criticised Adeleke’s decision to assign the Ministry of Sports and Social Needs to the Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi.
He described it as unfathomable given the pool of qualified individuals within the state who could fill the role.
Lawal also took issue with the governor’s choice to appoint lawyers to head the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health, calling it questionable.
However, he grudgingly acknowledged the competence of a few appointed commissioners.
The governor had on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, sworn in 25 commissioners and three permanent secretaries, charging them to prioritize service to the people.
Despite APC’s severe criticism, the governor assigned the Ministry of Works to his office, an unusual move that continues to stir controversy across the state.
Osun: Extremist Muslim Group Attacks Governor Adeleke, Says ‘He’s a Secret Agent of CAN’
The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has condemned Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State over the list of his commissioners which contains seven Muslims and 17 Christians.
In a statement on Monday, July 10, 2023, MURIC Executive Director, Ishaq Akintola, accused Governor Adeleke of religious partisanship, saying he has issued a licence to oppress Muslims.
“We condemn this wanton blockage of privileges that should go to Muslims and their diversion to over-pampered and over-fed Christians in Osun State,” Professor Akintola said. “By deceiving Muslims in the state and engaging in spiritual hide and seek, Governor Adeleke has exhibited qualities odoriferously short in honour and dignity but egregiously long in infamy and bohemianism.
“The goal of Adeleke’s deception is to perpetuate the marginalization, shortchanging and oppression of Muslims in Osun State. Adeleke is a secret agent of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN.
“But it is for a while. Time will tell. Governor ‘James Bond’ and the few selfish Muslims he is using will soon see that honesty and openness make enduring leadership,” Akintola said.
