…It’s an attempt to shift blame, says Adeleke’s aide
By Shina Abubakar
Ismail Omipidan, Media aide to the immediate past governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, yesterday, accused Governor Ademola Adeleke’s men of looting Government House, Osogbo.
Addressing a press conference in Osogbo, Omipidan described the looting allegation as not only ridiculous but intended to soil the reputable image of his principal.
He noted that all the items alleged to have been carted away were intact as at the time of handing over, saying: “if there was any looting, as being claimed by the agents of the new government, then we should look in their direction.”
He said his principal stopped sleeping in the Government House on Saturday, November 19, 2022 and by November 26, 2022, an inventory was conducted in company of DSS officials who were attached to the Government House at the time and security operatives attached to the new Governor, particularly A. Umale and Pius Akpan.
According to Omipidan, in the DSS report dated November 26, 2022, and titled: “Inventory of items in Osun State Governor and Presidential lodges’, it is reported that, “On 26th November, 2022, about 1400hours, a team of the Protocol Department, Osun State Governor’s Office, Abere, led by Mr Falode, in company of two officers of the Department of State Services, DSS, namely Usman Adediran and Sunday Posu, painstakingly took the inventory of items in the above mentioned places.
“The items were thereafter handed over to A. UMALE and Pius AKPAN, DSS personnel and security details of the new Governor, Ademola Adeleke without any complaint.
“It is further noteworthy that nothing suggests that any of the items in the buildings was carted away, as all were intact as at the time of handing over.
“It is, therefore, ridiculous to accuse my Principal of taking away spoons, cooker and methylated spirit. From the foregoing, if there was any looting as being claimed by the agents of the new government, then we should look in their direction.
“They cannot take over, and then come to raise alarm 72 hours later that there was looting in the same place where they held their inauguration party on Sunday, November 27.
It’s an attempt to shift blame, says Adeleke’s aide
But in a swift reaction, Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, described Omipidan’s claim as mere propaganda and an attempt to shift blame on security operatives.
Olawale said: “Few days after Mr Ismail Omipidan’s boss, Funke Egbemode admitted that looting took place under Oyetola administration, it is sad that attempts are being made to shift blame on the Department of State Security Service and the police service.
“The latest propaganda attempt is an afterthought of a robbery caught in the act by people of Osun, the real owners of the assets.
“The video evidence everywhere and history was recorded against a team that proved in every sense to be anti-people.
“It is utterly wicked on the part of Omipidan to attempt to shift the looting on innocent security agencies who he claimed Oyetola handed over the assets that were looted bare.
“It was even an aberration in democratic clime that an outgoing government would claim to hand over to security agencies instead of the incoming administration. Omipidan afterthought denial is shameful to say the least.”
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