- You’re confused, says Adeleke
BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The media aide to the immediate past Osun Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke’s men of looting Government House, Osogbo.
He said the incumbent administration raised a false alarm adding that the governor’s men should have been ordinarily guided by the record of the inventory taken before the formal handover of the items in the Governor’s Lodge and Presidential quarters in Government House respectively.
Omipidan averred that it was ungodly for Adeleke’s stooges to have raised empty alarm over an illicit action taken by them, saying it is on record that the new government took over the possession of the Government House a day to the inauguration of Ademola Adeleke.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday in Osogbo, Omipidan described the looting allegation as not only ridiculous but sarcastic as it was intended to soil the reputable image of his principal.
Omipidan slammed Adeleke and his men for their failure to protect all the items bequeathed to them by the administration of Oyetola, just as he queried why it took them 72 hours after they had formally taken over the property before raising an obnoxious allegation of looting.
He asserted that all the items alleged to have been carted away were intact as at the time of handing over, saying “if there was any looting as claimed by the agents of the new government, then we should look in their direction.”
Omipidan, who described his principal as a man of impeccable character, asked, “how on earth any right-thinking person will accuse him of stealing things as cheap as spoons, methylated spirit, cooker and emptying the First Aid Box?”
He said his principal stopped sleeping in the Government House on Saturday, November 19, 2022 and by November 26, 2022, an inventory was conducted in company of DSS officials who were attached to the Government House at the time and security operatives attached to the new Governor, particularly A. Umale and Pius Akpan.
According to Omipidan, in the DSS report dated November 26, 2022, and titled: “Inventory of Items in Osun State Governor’s and Presidential Lodges,” it is reported that, “On 26th November, 2022, about 1400houre, a team of the Protocol Department, Osun State Governor’s Office, Abere, led by Mr. Falode, in company of two officers of the Department of State Services, namely Usman Adediran and Sunday Posu, painstakingly took the inventory of items in the above mentioned places.
“The items were thereafter handed over to A. Umale and Pius Akpan, DSS personnel and security details of the new Governor, Ademola Adeleke without any complaint.
“It is further noteworthy that nothing suggests that any of the items in the buildings were carted away, as all were intact as at the time of handing over. Attached herewith is a list of items in both buildings. And they went further to list the items one by one, covering 8 pages. In the inventory, among the items listed are: 6 Face Big Gas Cooker with Oven and 4 Face Kenstar Cooker with Oven among others.
“It is, therefore, ridiculous to accuse my Principal of taking away spoons, cookers and methylated spirit. From the foregoing, if there was any looting as claimed by the agents of the new government, then we should look in their direction.
“They cannot take over, and then come to raise the alarm 72 hours later that there was looting in the same place where they held their inauguration party on Sunday, November 27.
“If they think this is how to pay a man who gave his all for four years so that Osun could be back to reckoning, God our Creator, who is not a God of hypocrisy, will pay them in their own coin appropriately,” Omipidan added.
In a swift response, Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said in a statement that Oyetola and his handlers are confused, adding that the ex-governor should not shift the blame of the alleged looting on security agencies.
Rasheed said, “Few days after Mr. Ismail Omipidan’s boss, Funke Egbemode admitted that looting took place under Oyetola administration, it is sad that attempts are being made to shift blame on the Department of State Security Service and the police service.
“Three high ranking officials of the past administration have spoken on the looting and it was clear that two of them, Sunday Akere and Mrs. Egbemode admitted to the looting because they are fed up with propaganda and lying to the public. The third one in his usual deceitful manner almost a week after came up with a cock and bull story, maligning the DSS and the Police.
“The latest propaganda attempt is an afterthought of a robber caught in the act by Osun people, the real owners of the assets. The video evidence is everywhere and history was recorded against a team that proved in every sense to be anti-people.
“It is utterly wicked on the part of Omipidan to attempt to shift the looting on innocent security agencies that he claimed Oyetola handed over the assets that were looted bare.
“It was even an aberration in democratic clime that an outgoing government would claim to hand over to security agencies instead of the incoming administration. Omipidan’s afterthought denial is shameful to say the least.”
