Adelere Oriolowo, a senator representing the Osun West Senatorial District, has accused the state government of stealing property from the state and has requested an apology and restitution of 500 million naira.
Senator Oriolowo was accused of possessing the 130G Motor Grader (005132-A321), D6 Bulldozer (OS130-A32), Electric Transformer Feeder Board Panel, and Soil Compactor Machine by the Asset Recovery Committee, which Governor Ademola Adeleke established to recover some stolen government properties from the recently-expired administration (OS137- A32).
At a press conference in Iwo on Tuesday, Oriolowo responded to the accusations, calling them unfounded and inaccurate.
The congressman claimed that the state government was to blame for damaging his reputation by making what he called careless accusations.
He thus charged Adeleke-led administration to withdraw the allegations and pay him N500 million compensation.
“I was taken aback as to why a committee of the State would jettison the principle of fair hearing by inviting me to defend whatever report they must have gotten. I also reliably gathered that this said committee failed to submit their report to their principal before going to the public to malign my name”, Oriolowo said.
“The said equipment which belongs to the then OSSADEP was in existence when I left the agency 15 years ago. To the best of my knowledge, some of them were transferred to the Ministry of Rural Development to assist the government. A simple due diligence or investigation by the committee would have unravelled the salient fact that the equipment is still property of the Osun State Government.”
“I have thus instructed my lawyers to write to the State Government demanding a letter of apology within seven (7) days and to also pay the sum of Five Hundred Million Naira (N500,000,000) as compensation for the unquantifiable damage done to my name and integrity.
“My lawyer’s letter has since been received by the Government on the 30th December, 2022 and it is my hope that this Government will retrace its steps, retract the publication and apologize to me. Failure in which, I will use all legal means available to me to get justice”, he concluded.