Politics
….we will invoke criminal law to retrieve almost N3b vehicles
OSUN State Government has declared that there is no law in Osun state which empowers a Governor or his appointees to Bolt away with government vehicles, challenging ex-governor Oyetola’s team to cite the name and date of enactment of the supposed fake law.
Reacting to questions from journalists at Osogbo, the Spokesperson to the Governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed said “what the law provides is possibility of auctioning of public properties if need arises for such, submitting that such an exercise must past through due process with application of auctioning regulations and procedures.
“In this case, there was no auctioning of those vehicles. No tender payment, bidding and opening exercises. Without any legal foundation, vehicles cumulatively worth about N3.5 billion were shared out. Then, the affected officials admitted and are still laughably justifying illegality bordering on criminal infraction.
“Citing of non-existing law is embarrassing to those affected and the State as a whole. How can learned people be relying on such an illegal foundation instead of immediately returning government vehicles to the pool without further delay?
“As thing stands, the only law that will apply now except the vehicles are returned, relates to criminal theft of public properties and this will be invoked in the next forty eight (48) hours.
“Past officials have admitted bolting away with government vehicles. We have detailed records of all missing vehicles and which official is holding them. The Asset Recovery Committee will launch out on re-possession and retrieval exercise in line with stipulations of the law.
“If Oyetola’s administration had done proper handover through coordinated transition, the team would have been saved the embarrassing scenario of appropriating government properties without any legal basis.
“Just as the past government misgoverned the State probably on false advice, sheer ignorance or deliberate wickedness, its officials went away with government vehicles using tradition as law and exposing themselves and their principal to criminal trial”, the Spokesperson concluded in the chat with journalists on Christmas Day.
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Tags: Mallam Olawale Rasheed
