Oyetola’s Mass Recruitment, Another Plot to Strangulate Osun, Adeleke Transition Committee Alleges

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The Senator Ademola Adeleke Transition Committee in Osun State yesterday alleged that the ongoing mass recruitment exercise by the state Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, was a continuation of his efforts to bankrupt and plunge the state into a deeper financial mess ahead of November 27 handover date.

In a statement issued, signed and made available to THISDAY yesterday in Osogbo, the state capital, by the Chairman, Media Sub-Committee of the

Ademola Adeleke Transition Committee, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, stressed that: “We learnt reliably that the outgoing administration has commenced the recruitment of 500 health workers through the Executive Secretary for Osun State Primary Health Care Board, whose appointment was also recently done through the back door despite lack of requisite qualifications.

He posited that the recruitment, which he said is shrouded in mystery, is a platform for a deliberate ploy to increase the state payroll and complicate efforts to address the parlous state of the state finance.

According to him, “Just a few weeks ago, the outgoing administration embarked on a sudden employment of 1,500 teachers hiding under the guise of filling vacancies while in real fact, it was part of a broader plan to financially incapacitate the incoming administration. As usual, the exercise is a job for the boys, lacking the necessary manpower planning and development strategies.

“To confirm the sinister motive, the outgoing governor has also been awarding multi-billion naira capital projects without tenders and compliance with the procurement law. The awards designed to blackmail the incoming government are mainly handed over to known cronies of the governor with reports confirming that more than three of such contracts have been awarded in the last two weeks.

“We are thus not surprised when we learnt of the ongoing recruitment of another set of medical workers contrary to rules and extant practices. Insiders confirmed that those being recruited are mostly APC members without regards to qualifications and their suitability.”

While acknowledging the high level of unemployment in the state, the transition committee warns against “an ongoing attempt to capitalise on the pains of the people to satisfy evil political plan of truncating the rebuilding and revival agenda of the incoming government.

“We urge the people of Osun State not to fall prey to the latest antics of the Oyetola team. All recruitments effected in breach of manpower planning strategy and whose sole goal is to lay time bomb for the newly elected governor can’t stand. All contracts awarded under shady circumstances will also be subjected to requisite review at the right time. We appeal to all affected individuals and organisations not to become instruments of political vendetta by a defeated governor unwilling to submit to the will of the people.”

The committee reassured the people of the state of a well-thought-out plan by the incoming Adeleke government to sustainably address issues of workers’ welfare, job creation, insecurity, infrastructure deficit, and others facing the state, submitting that “the outgoing government is only using its last minutes in Government House to set traps and lay mines for the incoming government of the people.

“Osun people must rise against anti-people actions and deeds such as the multiple efforts to deepen the financial challenges facing the state through deliberate expansion of state payroll and engagement of contractual obligations that breach provisions of the procurement laws.”