Give Aregbesola another Bail out, Risk Public Revolt, PDP Warns Buhari

Give Aregbesola another Bail out, Risk Public Revolt, PDP Warns Buhari

Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday warned President Muhammadu Buhari against considering the request for fresh bailout by the state government.

While reacting to the statement issued by the state Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kunle Oyatomi, where the ruling party said the initial bailout granted the state was insufficient, the PDP said public revolt would greet any favourable response of the request.

In a counter statement issued in Osogbo yesterday by state PDP Director of Media and Strategy, Prince Diran Odeyemi, the opposition party recalled that the first bailout of N35 billion the state government got never complied with the basic requirements of accessing such funds.

The statement reads: "In the first instance, the bailout was given to Aregbesola without the resolution of State Executive Council since the governor has refused to form cabinet 18 months after returning for another term.

"Also, the state House of Assembly never approved the bailout. Our sole administrator single handedly took the money and spent it anyhow. Has there been a probe of how the N35billion bailout he received was spent, No!

"The lies of Aregbesola has travelled for 20 years, and now, in sudden flight, the truth has caught up with them. Despite the bailout, the workers have not been receiving their salaries as at when due. For up to one year, workers in the state have been getting less than half of their salaries."

Insisting that mass action will greet any further move to sink the state into more indebtedness, the PDP added that instead of listening to plea for more funds from the governor and his party, the federal government should urgently look into how the Osun, among the 36 states and FCT, got N131 million deficit in March allocation.

"We will however help federal government get into the root of the financial crises facing the state. Aregbesola bought helicopter with state's funds for surveillance and converted it to personal use.

"He is wasting billions on airport project and few federal roads awarded at inflated cost. The failed ‘Opon imo’ tablets and planting of flowers on Ife/Ibadan road also gulped billions of naira taken out of the state coffers," the party said.

It then advised Aregbesola to resign if he is confused about how to manage affairs of the state, stressing that with the average of N2.4 billion monthly loan repayment, the state cannot afford more debt burden.