Nigeria Advance Party calls for Governor Aregbesola’s Resignation
Opeyemi Oladunjoye
The South West chapter of Nigeria Advance Party (NAP) has called for the resignation of Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, for the inability of his administration to pay workers and pensioners for the past seven months.
The Deputy National Chairman of the party in the zone, Tosin Odeyemi, while speaking in an interview with journalists in Osogbo on Thursday, said it was wrong for the governor to give his administration credits for a good performance when debts to the workers was still hanging over its head.
He said, “The governor said he had performed well, but if this is the best he can deliver, then he should resign. Is this the change he promised the people?, everybody is suffering now, both Christians and Muslims and the governor is saying he had done well. He is insensitive to the plight of the people of the state.
“The governor, through his profligate spending, has brought shame and ridicule to the workers and the entire people of the state. He has turned almost everybody to beggars in the state.
” Where is Laoye-Tomori (deputy governor) now?, it is so sad that workers have been turned to beggars. The Christian Association of Nigeria has now started soliciting food for workers.
” Is the governor not eating? Are his children and wife starving like the workers? Certainly not. The governor still goes with all the vehicles in his convoy, he has failed woefully.“
The Governor however denied the allegations of wasteful spending in a statement through his media aide, Semiu Okanlawon, saying anti-corruption agencies had in the past commended his administration.
He said, “If no one could accuse Aregbesola of wasteful spending in his four years of governance why now would anyone say he is wasteful. It is ironic that those making these allegations today applauded the very prudent manner he had managed the affairs of the state even with the very meagre resources at his disposal.
“Where has he been wasteful?. Is it in his implementation of the most applauded people oriented programmes such as OMEAL, OYES or care for the elderly and vulnerable, or in the massive provision of infrastructure across the state?
“The accusation of insensitivity cannot be true, but for the revenue crisis, payments of salaries and allowances were major priorities of this government.
“We are aware that at periods like this, the head of any administration becomes easy target for pillory, but this is just a phase that will pass away.”
