By Ayodele Oni
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun state has slammed the All Progressive Congress (APC) for supporting its members who illegally carted away government vehicles and plunged the state into another round of multi-billion naira expenditure for car purchase.
PDP has alleged that some politicians that served in the immediate past administration of Gboyega Oyetola refused to submit official vehicles attached to their offices, an action which APC alluded that was backed by law.
The party, in a statement on Saturday, stated that “We are shocked at the shameless release from the state APC and depth of immorality displayed by the opposition.
“Your members ‘stole’ government vehicles and the state is asking them to return them. You are reprehensibly justifying daylight robbery. In saner clime, those who issued that press statement should be arraigned in court as accomplice in robbery crime.
“A group of former state officials claimed and confirmed that they went away with government vehicles. Yet, a discredited political party cannot summon a meeting and order them to return such properties. Rather, party leaders are audaciously trying to spin theft in a political chess game.
“What has happened to the moral compass of Sooko Tajudeen Lawal and his cohorts? Why will a party chairman be defending “thieves” who for more than a year refused to return government vehicles they took away illegally?”
The statement, signed by Bamiji Oladele, Director of Media, Osun State PDP noted that “These officials claimed there was a law that protected them. When the law was checked and revealed to the public, there was no cover, no clause that allowed such illegality.
“At another time, they claimed the former Governor simply dashed them the cars. In law, the former Governor as a public official, has no power to dash government properties to anybody. No law empowered him to do so. Hence, those with the cars are beneficiaries of an illegal act.
“As of today, the state government is still struggling to buy cars for cabinet members because those official vehicles were illegally taken away by commissioners and special advisers under former Governor Oyetola.
“The government of the day therefore has the duty to recover all stolen and diverted government properties. This is not about politics or political witch hunts. It is purely about law enforcement.
“As indicated in the White Paper, the Taskforce will issue its modus operandi and will follow due process in the recovery process. The Taskforce will issue due notice and will follow up the notice with enforcement.
“As a party, the PDP called on former officials of the state government to return government vehicles in their possession.
“The longer the vehicles stay with them, the more they incur reputation damage and public wrath because there is no law in Osun state that protects those who stole government properties.”
