Properties deemed to have been illegally carted away by the political appointees of the Adegboyega Oyetola administration will be recovered by the present administration in the Osun State.
This reaffirmation was made by the Secretary to the Osun State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, at a press conference in Osogbo on Tuesday.
Igbalaye also insisted that the assets committee set up by the state governor, Addemola Adeleke and saddled with the recovery assignment, was not meant to witch-hunt any individual.
According to him, “the Task Force on Recovery of Assets of Government properties has done their job and efforts are on to recover all alleged stolen vehicles and other Government properties by former political appointees.
“The Executive Governor of Osun State, during the inauguration of the Task Force on Recovery of Assets and Government Project Vehicles on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, charged members of the Task Force to ensure immediate recovery of government assets and project vehicles that were illegally carted away by the officials of the immediate past administration.
“At its meeting held on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, the Task Force observed that due diligence should be done with a view to ascertaining vehicles and assets that were lawfully permissible to be taken home from those illegally taken away.
“That the Executive Governor had the prerogative power to allow any political appointee go home with his/her official vehicle, having served for at least a period of two (2) years and payment of some amount of money into the coffers of the government, and if the vehicle was less than four (4) years old, the appointee would pay 10% of the residual value of such official vehicles.
“That the approval granted by the immediate past Executive Governor for the release and eventual ownership of the official vehicles (Kia cars) allocated to members of the immediate past Osun State Executive Council followed due process, and
“That the letter of permission written by the immediate past Head of Service, directing political appointees of the immediate past administration to go home with the official vehicles allocated to them, was, however, illegal.”
He dismissed the claim of the Osun All Progressives Congress, APC, that the asset recovery committee was vindictive and targeted at the opposition.
“All government assets and vehicles that are hitherto in the possession of the political appointees of the immediate past administration and that are not captured in the express provisions of the paragraphs must be recovered,” he said.
