The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, Ismail Omipidan, has described the allegations leveled against his principal by The Osun Progressives (TOP), a group of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as “baseless, derogatory and one deliberately nurtured to taint the image” of his principal.
Omipidan noted that the governor has performed creditably well in managing the state and the affairs of the party, saying the allegations were deliberate vituperation targeted to tarnish his soaring image.
Omipidan, while fielding questions from newsmen at the live-streamed Media Parley organised by the members of Osun Online Media Practitioners Association, on Saturday, said it is gladdening to know that the governor has been applying the scarce resources to develop the critical sectors of the state.
The governor’s spokesman, who insisted that there was no division in the party, noted that the perceived crisis and registered displeasure by a section of the party were internal matter that would soon be resolved amicably by the party’s leadership.
He added that Governor Oyetola has been playing his role as expected to raise the bar of internal democracy by ensuring that conflicts were properly managed in the party whenever it arises.
While responding on the way and manner at which his principal has been administering the affairs of the state across sectors of the economy in the last two and half years, Omipidan stressed that the governor had proved that governance was possible in the face of undaunting socioeconomic challenges.
According to him, the administration has delivered and still delivering on the promises made to the people particularly in the areas of infrastructure, mining, agriculture, education and security.
He said the administration has sustained the security status of Osun as the most peaceful state in Nigeria, saying from all indices, empirical facts and statistics, Osun has chosen a right man to do the job of governing the affairs of the state.
Asked on the debt profile of Osun State and how the state has been running in the face of the current socioeconomic reality, Omipidan noted that the governor had brought to bear his wealth of experience in the private sector to govern the state.
Omipidan, who boasted that his principal has not taken a dime as loan since assumption of office, said the feat was achieved inspite of the fact that the adminstration has been servicing the ‘incurred debts’ without allowing such to hinder essential deliverables to the citizens.
On the airport project in the state, the governor’s aide noted that the plan to construct the airport was still on course as his principal was determined to take the vision to fruition.
He added that Oyetola had sought support from the Federal Government in that regard as manifested in the swift response from the Ministry of Aviation to cushion the financial burden being faced on the project.
Speaking on the recent inauguration of the newly-appointed members of the Local Government Caretaker Committees, Omipidan emphasised that the governor had taken a right step not to allow any form of vacuum in the administration of local governments in the state.
He dispelled the claims that the government had flouted the laws guiding adminstration of local government by appointing Caretaker Committees, noting that “as far as local government is concerned in Osun, Oyetola didn’t violate any law”.
He discarded the insinuations describing the decision as an ‘aberation’ noting that “anything that is covered by law can not be regarded as an aberation in any sense”.
Omipidan further reassured the determination of Governor Oyetola to conduct local government election in Osun State.
