Osun Government Dismisses Fraud Allegations, Calls Petition Baseless and Politically Driven

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The Osun State Government has strongly rejected allegations of multi-billion-naira fraud and diversion of public funds reportedly levelled against some officials in the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, described the claims contained in a petition attributed to the Osun Youths Initiative for Good Governance (OYIGG) as false, malicious, and politically motivated.

The petition had accused the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Kazeem Akinleye, and the State Accountant-General, Rasheed Olalere Alabi, of allegedly diverting funds received from the Federal Government without legislative approval.

However, the state government dismissed the allegations outright, insisting that no public funds had been misappropriated or diverted in any form.

According to Alimi, the accusations bordering on “multi-billion-naira infrastructure fraud,” “mismanagement of public resources,” and “improper project execution” were entirely unfounded and lacked any credible evidence.

He further stressed that attempts to link the Chief of Staff to any form of financial misconduct were misleading, noting that the office does not control or authorise state funds.

“At no time has the Chief of Staff to the Governor, who is neither the custodian of the state treasury nor the approving authority for public expenditure, diverted any public funds directly or indirectly,” the statement read.

The government also defended the Accountant-General, stating that he operates strictly within established financial regulations, appropriation laws, and approved treasury procedures.

Reaffirming its stance on accountability, the administration maintained that it remains committed to transparency, due process, and prudent management of public resources within Osun State.

It also referenced independent fiscal assessments, including reports by BudgIT, claiming that Osun has maintained strong performance in transparency rankings, including a 100 per cent score in a recent quarterly evaluation.

The statement further criticised the inclusion of individuals such as Deji Adeleke and Dupe Adeleke-Sanni in the petition, noting that they hold no official position in the state government and have no involvement in public fund management.

Describing their mention as reckless and defamatory, the government said such actions could attract legal consequences.

The administration urged the public, media organisations, and relevant institutions to disregard the petition, insisting it was designed to distract from ongoing governance efforts.

It added that no amount of political distraction or smear campaign would derail its focus on infrastructure development, transparency, and service delivery to the people of Osun State.