• Says ex-gov only left money for payment of Nov salary
• Promises to probe predecessor, others
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, yesterday, said that his predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola, left N407.32 billion as debt and also increased the state debt profile after losing the governorship election.
This, according to him, is contrary to claims by his predecessor that he did not borrow a dime throughout his four years tenure. Adeleke disclosed this while delivering his address at a meeting with the Osun State Traditional Rulers in Osogbo, capital of the state.
The governor, who backed up the disclosure with a document said to have emanated from the state’s Accountant-General, expressed dismay that Oyetola allegedly got a Federal Government Bridge Finance Facility of N18.04 billion, adding that a large portion of the loan was taken after July 16, 2022 election, which Oyetola lost.
He said: “The only fund in government coffers, as of Monday, November 29, 2022, was for November 2022 workers’ salary. Otherwise, the state treasury was empty.”
The governor added that the total loan stock at present is N331.32 billion, saying: “If the N76 billion debts on salaries and pensions are added, the state is indebted to the tune of N407.32 billion. The amount owed contractors is yet to be determined.
“With high sense of responsibility, I am reporting to our people through our traditional rulers the total debt profile inherited by my administration from former Governor Oyetola’s administration.
“This event is in pursuance of my pledge to Osun State people to be transparent and run an open government.
“My administration inherited eight outstanding loan facilities, apart from salaries and pension debts from former Governor Oyetola’s administration. The repayment period ranges from 16 months to about 28 years.
Meanwhile, the governor has threatened to probe his predecessor on how the immediate past administration expended the loans. He also said that commercial banks would explain why they gave the former governor loans after he lost the election.
It would be recalled that Oyetola, in his farewell statement, had disclosed that his administration left behind for the incoming government N14 billion cash in the state’s coffers, adding that his government had successfully paid N97 billion from the total debt inherited in 2018 when he assumed office.
The former governor didn’t state the total debt profile of the state in his address, but said that his administration didn’t borrow a dime anywhere in the world to finance the economy of the state.
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