Osun State Government has again debunked fake news being peddled by the opposition alleging that Governor Ademola Adeleke is collecting security votes, asserting once again that the Governor is not, has and will not collect security votes in line with his avowed declaration on assumption of office.
The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi made the clarification in a statement on Sunday, explaining that the opposition is spreading falsehood because it has no hole to pick in the superlative performance of the state governor.
According to the Commissioner, the opposition is either ignorant or mischievous by deliberately misinterpreting state spending to support security operations and services by security agencies such as the police , Department of State Services among others.
“The state government statutorily supports security agencies when they conduct security operations on a regular basis such as quelling communal violence, joint security operations in troubled spots as well as deployment during mass demonstrations.
“Such expenditures are formally accounted for in line with the due approval process. The state support in such situations are referred to as expenditure for security services as different from the concept of security vote which does not pass through formal due approval process.
“The opposition needs to be educated that there are differences between security votes and security services. Security votes are widely known as slush funds expended at the discretion of the Chief executive without passing through formal accountability and due processes.
“In Osun state, Governor Adeleke is not, has not and will not take such security votes. Mr Governor is however committed to supporting the security agencies with their logistics needs under security services expenditure which are fully applied for and processed through the office of Special Adviser to the Governor on Security matters.
The present administration in Osun State therefore wishes to state, emphatically that, Governor Adeleke approves funds to address security issues only when occasion demands for such and there are always record to justify such expenditure as opposed to being latched on as a free money to be expended at will by any sitting Governor as was the tradition with the past administration.
It must be stated that in his almost two year old administration, Mr Governor’s probity and accountability is remarkably unbeatable in the history of Osun State and by extension, in the Nigerian federation.
While the present administration wishes to, state for the umpteenth time, that, it is not averse to being criticized constructively when the need arises by the right and unbiased free minded members of the public, it is, however, incongruent for a person or group of persons to throw cautions to the wind in going about it as exemplified by some opposition operatives.
