The Osun State Government Media Centre has raised a set of 30 questions for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the campaign for the forthcoming gubernatorial election officially commenced today.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Media Centre said the questions were aimed at drawing public attention to issues it described as critical to governance, accountability and the past records of the opposition party in the state.
According to the statement, the APC candidate owes the people of Osun clear explanations on a number of matters relating to previous administrations of the party and policies affecting the welfare and development of the state.
The statement reads
We particularly urge Mr Bola Oyebamiji to come clean on the questions as they touch on his past records at Osun Investment management agency,his time as commissioner for Finance and his stint as the boss of Maritime Inland Waterways.
1.As the head of Osun State Investment Company (OSICOL), why did you superintend over the liquidation, sales and off-loading of state properties in Lagos and Abuja without proper accountability and compliance with due process?
- If you were acting under directive, why did you not resign instead of implementing processes that rubbed the state of valuable assets?
- As OSICOL boss, Osun investments across sectors were under your watch. Why was Osun mining investments, especially the Segilola project, were managed in ways that deprived the state of its rightful shares and earnings until Governor Adeleke renegotiated and normalised Osun’s shareholding and earnings into the state treasury?
- If you again deny knowledge or responsibility, will it be assumed that you were not competent enough to handle your responsibility as Osicol boss?
- As Finance Commissioner, why did you authorise the transfer of Osun shares at Omoluabi to a proxy firm under a less-than-transparent process as attested to by a letter in our possession?
- Why did you direct the proceeds from the share transfer to be paid into the Osicol account instead of the state treasury? Is that not a breach of state finance regulations?
- If you intend to falsely blame Mr Boluwaduro, your predecessor as finance commissioner, did you remember there is a letter you duly signed which authorized the transferring of Osun shares as noted above?
- If you still insist on denial, what will you tell Osun people if the letter you sign to authorise the transfer is published for the public to see?
- As a finance commissioner, why did you pursue anti-workers sadistic policies by implementing half salaries and non-payment of pension debt?
- If you insist on denying as usual, are you aware that pictures and documents confirming your involvement from the beginning to the end are in our possession and in the public domain?
- As Commissioner for Finance, why did you retain Chams as payroll manager instead of activating the World Bank supported SIFMIS application for payroll management?
- Why did you apply SIFMIS in budget and other financial management minus payroll management where you retain Chams? Was there a deal between your office and Chams?
- As a finance commissioner, why did you support the decapitation of the public service through the non-appointment of Permanent Secretaries, non-payment of promotion allowances, and the promotion of general anti-labour initiatives?
- As Finance Commissioner, why did you allow the turning of the $20 million World Bank Health grant into a slush fund for sharing through a state executive committee?
- As chairman of the procurement board, why did you disallow the procurement agency from implementing the health grant in line with procurement regulation and processes?
- Why did you at a particular meeting of the procurement agency which you chaired overruled technical people who called your attention to the illegality entailed in the handling of the $20 million grant?
- Why did you as a finance commissioner supervise capital flight out of Osun State to Lagos State, thereby depriving the state of local content opportunities?
- Why did you fail to sustainably reduce Osun debt which has now been reduced by 40 percent under the Adeleke administration?
- Why did you as Chairman of procurement agency politicised and bastardized the procurement agency, installed your lackey, and ensured extensive violations of the law in several procurement authorisations?
- Why did you strangle Osun State University of requisite funding, leading to the abandonment of several critical capital projects that were imperative for sustaining the university’s accreditation in several fields?
- As a Finance Commissioner and right-hand man of the former Governor, why did you deprive the University of Ilesa of take-off grants after the establishment announced by the previous Governor?.
- As the head of NIWA, why did Nigeria record over 1000 waterway deaths under your watch?
- Why did NIWA workers jubilate the day you were removed as the agency head?
- Are you worried that your democratic credentials have been tarnished by the undemocratic nature of your emergence as a candidate ?
- Why are you so scared of the ballot and the people as you and your supporters repeatedly mouthed federal might as your main strength?
- Why did you remove Munirudeen from your INEC fillings? Are you no longer bearing the name?
- Why did you hurriedly withdraw your manifesto which one of your top aides released in the dead of the night a few months ago?
- Why have you not release your final campaign manifesto since the hurried withdrawal of the first botched copy?
- Why are you pushing religious bigotry in a state of unity in diversity like Osun?
- As a key leader in the failed government of Mr Oyetola and with a catalogue of holes in your past records, why should Osun people trust you for top leadership?
We challenge Mr Oyebamiji to answer all the above questions sincerely. If he failed to offer sincere responses, we will proceed to release documents as validation.
