A heated exchange has erupted between the current Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. Kolapo Alimi, and his predecessor, Mr. Adebayo Adeleke, over allegations of financial misappropriation. Mr. Adeleke, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), publicly accused Mr. Alimi of overseeing questionable withdrawals from the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) account during his tenure as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters. These accusations have sparked a war of words, with both parties threatening legal action and demanding transparency from the other.
Mr. Alimi vehemently denies any involvement in financial misconduct, dismissing Mr. Adeleke’s claims as baseless and a desperate attempt to deflect attention from allegations of graft against him. He characterizes Mr. Adeleke as a “drowning man clutching at straws” due to the mounting public scrutiny of his own financial dealings while serving as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs under former Governor Gboyega Oyetola. Mr. Alimi insists that his decision to pursue legal action against Mr. Adeleke for blackmail is not merely a threat, and he asserts that his legal team is actively preparing to file a lawsuit. He further challenges Mr. Adeleke to present any concrete evidence of his alleged involvement in fraud to anti-graft agencies, rather than resorting to public grandstanding.
In response to Mr. Alimi’s denial and legal threats, Mr. Adeleke doubles down on his accusations, demanding a detailed account of how a substantial sum of money, allegedly 3.7 billion naira, disappeared from the ALGON account under Mr. Alimi’s watch. He argues that although Mr. Alimi was not a signatory to the account, his position as Commissioner placed him in charge of monitoring and overseeing the utilization of funds. Mr. Adeleke highlights his own meticulous record-keeping during his tenure, claiming that all projects and financial transactions were documented, approved, and certified by the Auditor General for Local Government. He challenges Mr. Alimi to provide similar evidence of his stewardship, allowing the public to assess the situation impartially.
Mr. Adeleke further criticizes Mr. Alimi’s legal threats as a diversionary tactic, accusing him of attempting to avoid addressing the serious allegations of misappropriation. He describes Mr. Alimi’s actions as “shameful and unbecoming of a public servant” and warns him to expect further accusations and legal challenges. He poses a series of questions to Mr. Alimi, demanding clarification on the procedures followed for transferring funds from the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) to the ALGON account, the existence of any gubernatorial approvals for joint projects, and Mr. Alimi’s role in monitoring project execution. Mr. Adeleke emphasizes that he has provided documented proof, including pictorial evidence, of how ALGON utilized the funds under his leadership and urges Mr. Alimi to do the same instead of resorting to lies and evasions.
The crux of the dispute revolves around the accountability for the ALGON funds during Mr. Alimi’s tenure. While Mr. Adeleke insists that Mr. Alimi, as the overseeing Commissioner, bears responsibility for the alleged financial irregularities, Mr. Alimi maintains his innocence and accuses Mr. Adeleke of engaging in a smear campaign to distract from his own alleged misconduct. The public exchange of accusations and counter-accusations has created a complex and contentious situation, with both parties presenting conflicting narratives and demanding transparency from the other.
The ongoing dispute between the two former commissioners highlights the importance of financial accountability and transparency within government institutions. The allegations of misappropriation and the subsequent exchange of accusations underscore the need for thorough investigations and the presentation of verifiable evidence to support the claims made by both parties. The resolution of this conflict will likely depend on the ability of both Mr. Alimi and Mr. Adeleke to provide concrete documentation and substantiation for their respective positions. The legal proceedings threatened by both parties may offer a more formal platform for the presentation of evidence and the determination of accountability.
