Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has strongly refuted allegations of secretly obtaining loans, as well as calls by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for greater financial transparency.
The APC had earlier challenged the governor to reveal the state’s financial records, claiming it was vital for the “suffering masses” whose resources, they alleged, were being siphoned off for personal gains.
During an end-of-year press conference in Osogbo, the APC’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, accused Adeleke’s administration of secretly signing and acquiring foreign loans totaling $51 million (approximately N81.6 billion), calculated at an exchange rate of N1,600 to $1.
Olabisi further argued that these loans could plunge Osun State into a deep financial crisis, urging citizens to demand accountability and question what he termed “financial recklessness.”
He added that contrary to claims that no loans had been obtained under Adeleke’s administration, parts of the 2024 budget were allegedly funded through the NG-CARES facility.
However, the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, dismissed these accusations as baseless and misleading.
He unequivocally denied that Osun State had acquired foreign loans under NG-CARES, describing the APC’s assertions as “fake news.”
“As a member of the executive council from the onset, I can affirm that no loan approval request has been made for any project. Osun people are discerning and educated; they know when their government is borrowing,” Rasheed asserted.