Aregbesola plans to buy N.5billion vehicles, PDP alleges

Osun State chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, has alleged that despite the parlous state of its economy, the state government is planning to spend as much as over half a billion naira on new official vehicles for some political office holders.

The Party in a statement issued in Osogbo by Diran Odeyemi, its spokesperson, explained that Governor Rauf Aregbesola had allegedly directed that each of the 3-member committee running the 30 local government areas and Modakeke Area Council of the state should take away their current official vehicles as parting gifts.

The opposition party strongly condemned the idea of purchasing over 119 new vehicles at a time like this when workers salaries have not been regular and despite the “economic quagmire, the state is enmeshed in” at the moment.

Besides, the party also accused the governor of deliberately creating avenues to waste the meagre resources accruing to the state by ordering that appointed local government officials, who have been in office in the last five years take away their official vehicles.

“We have done the calculations of the number of vehicles that will be taken away and we arrived at 93 vehicles. We have also been informed that 26 members of the State House of Assembly will be getting new cars, likewise members of Aregbesola’s yet to be constituted State Executive Council.

“It is relevant to state here that members of last State Cabinet dissolved over one year ago never returned their official vehicles. Going by his plans, Governor Aregbesola intends to create additional LCDA without conducting local government election.

“The new set of people will also be given new vehicles, which means that at least, three new vehicles will be bought for each of the 30 local government areas and Modakeke Area Official,” the party said.

According to the party, excluding those vehicles that will be given to members of the yet to be formed State Executive Council, the state will be buying 119 new vehicles that may cost up to half a billion naira.

“It will surprise the whole world that the state that could not pay a meagre N18, 000 minimum wage to less than 20, 000 workers will be spending so much in purchasing vehicles for some already over-fed party boys,” the PDP said.

It then urged every concerned Nigerian to come to the aid of Osun State by pleading its case before God to free it from the grip of a reckless government.

Efforts to get the governor’s spokesman, Semiu Okanlawon and the APC’s state director of publicity, Kunle Oyatomi to react proved abortive as calls and text messages to their phones were not acknowledged.