Some of the personnel who worked for former Osun State governor Gboyega Oyetola have returned government vehicles they were accused of stealing while in office.
Governor Ademola Adeleke gave Mr Oyetola, his wife Kafayat Oyetola, and some officials of his administration 48 hours to return the vehicles or face criminal charges.
Mrs Oyetola has previously stated that she did not steal any official vehicles during her time as First Lady, instead opting to utilise her vehicle.
But Mr Oyetola has defended his former officials, saying that he presented the cars to them as a token of his gratitude for their service to the state.
According to state legislation, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the former governor and his officials can keep the cars.
However, a high-ranking official at the state’s Bureau of General Service told reporters on Tuesday, however, who asked not to be identified because he could not speak publicly on behalf of the agency, that some of the officials had returned government vehicles they had taken.
The anonymous source claimed that some of the former commissioners were among them.
The commissioners are reportedly returning the automobiles in secret because “the governor gave them 48 hours to do it,” according to the source.
According to the source, one of the commissioners reportedly brought back a Toyota Hilux van on Monday.
“I was informed that one of the commissioners returned a Toyota Hilux yesterday. The person said he will return the official vehicle today. He said he was not aware that no law gives them the permission to take the vehicles home,” the source claimed.
“Another former commissioner also called and promised to return the vehicle. The thing is that they are secretly returning the vehicles.”
In response to our inquiry, Olawale Rasheed, the governor’s press secretary, confirmed the news.
“It is true that the people are secretly returning the vehicles because they are now aware that there is no legal basis for them going away with government vehicles, it is like engaging in criminal conduct,” the governor’s spokesperson said.
Mr Rasheed emphasised that any public official who failed to return the government car by Wednesday would be prosecuted.
“They are still within the time we gave them. Anybody that fails to return his or her own vehicle after tomorrow will be liable to prosecution,” he highlighted.
The governor’s spokesman added that if the vehicles are not returned, the state government will have to buy new ones at the cost of N3.2 billion.
“People should not think that we are witch-hunting. We are telling them to return the vehicles because we do not want to spend extravagantly when the state is still lacking development, we are still even struggling to pay salary, even if we want to spend on vehicles, it should not be too much,” he stated.
“The challenge is that the state government will spend almost N3.2 billion to purchase new vehicles for all the government parastatals. We are not witch-hunting anybody, many people do not know the implications.”
Meanwhile, there is no indication in the state’s current statute that a public officeholder can take home government property as part of a pension, severance package or other fringe benefits upon leaving office.
The “State of Osun Public Office Holders (Payment of Pension and Severance Package)” was signed into law by former Governor Oyetola on 3 June, 2019.
Section 2 subsection 1(ii) of the law states that:
“A duly elected or appointed public office holder shall upon the successful completion of his term:
(a) In the case of Governor, the Deputy Governor and Members of the House of Assembly be entitled to a severance gratuity, and
(b) In the case of members of the cabinet and members of statutory bodies be entitled to a one-off severance package.
Provided that such person had not been impeached or removed from office for breach of any provision of the constitution.
(2) The sum payable as pension and or severance package under the provisions of this law shall be charged upon the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the state.
(3) The total emolument of public office holders shall include salary, allowances and fringe benefits as contained in the schedule to this law.
(4) Subject to the provisions of section 124 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the pension and severance package mentioned in this law shall be payable at the expiration of the tenure of the holder of the office.
(5) Where the public office holder vacates office before the expiration of the term of his office for reasons other than impeachment or breach or any provision of the constitution, he shall be paid pension and or severance on a pro-rata basis for the number of years he held such office.
(6) Where a public office holder dies in office before the expiration of his tenure, his family or beneficiaries shall be paid death benefits on a pro-rata basis.”