It has been confirmed that properties believed to have been illegally taken by political appointees of the Adegboyega Oyetola administration will be reclaimed by the current government in Osun State.
At a press conference in Osogbo on Tuesday, the Secretary to the Osun State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, reiterated this commitment.
He emphasized that the assets committee established by Governor Addemola Adeleke is tasked with the recovery process, not with targeting individuals unfairly.
During the inauguration of the Task Force on Recovery of Assets and Government Project Vehicles on February 14, 2024, the Governor instructed the committee to promptly recover government assets and project vehicles that were unlawfully taken by officials of the previous administration.
The Task Force meeting on March 5, 2024, highlighted the need for thorough evaluation to distinguish between vehicles and assets rightfully taken versus those taken without authorization.
The Governor retained the authority to permit political appointees to take home their official vehicles if they served for a minimum of two years and made a payment to the government. If the vehicle was less than four years old, the appointee would pay 10% of its residual value.
The approval given by the former Governor for the release and ownership of the official Kia cars assigned to the previous Osun State Executive Council members followed proper procedures. However, the directive from the former Head of Service allowing political appointees to take the vehicles home was deemed illegal.
Denying allegations from the Osun All Progressives Congress (APC) that the asset recovery committee was biased towards the opposition, Igbalaye emphasized that all government assets and vehicles held by previous political appointees that do not meet the stipulated guidelines must be recovered.