At First Meeting With Workers, Adeleke Says He’ll Be Fair to All

•Admit your blunders on review panels, APC tells governor

•Opposition parties accuse ex-ruling party of plan to set Osun on fire

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo and Udora Orizu in Abuja

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, yesterday, held his maiden meeting with Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government, during which he expressed commitment to run an administration that would accord fairness and justice to all sectors of the state.

But the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, has described the setting up of various review panels by Adeleke as an afterthought and one designed to arrive at predetermined outcomes, advising the governor to admit an error in judgment and make amends.

In a related development, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), has accused the APC of ploy to set the state on fire and make it ungovernable in order to undermine the new government.

However, Adeleke, while extending a hand of fellowship to the workers with a view to moving the state forward, urged the accounting officers to work assiduously in engendering a virile civil service that could interpret well the vision and mission of the new administration.

He assured the Heads of MDAs that he would run an open door policy that would be accessible to all and sundry, with a view to bridging the gap between the executive and the civil Service.

Adeleke further tasked the workers on the need to maintain high level of dedication and commitment to service in their various MDAs, stressing that he would not condone any form of indiscipline or civil service infractions.

Secretary to the State Government, Hon Teslim Igbalaye, had earlier on behalf of the governor, presented the six new executive orders of government to the Heads of MDAS for immediate implementation.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mrs Bimpe Ogunlumade, who spoke on behalf of the accounting officers thanked Adeleke for extending his hands of fellowship to the echelon of the Osun civil service, just as she promised the cooperation of the virile civil service to the new administration.

Ogunlumade also assured him that the crop of workers in the state was endowed with great capacity to translate the vision of the new government excellently.

Present at the meeting were the Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi; the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye; a member of the House of Representatives, representing Ede, Egbedore, Ejigbo Federal constituency, Hon Bamidele Salam; Chairman, inauguration Committee, Rev Bunmi Jenyo and Permanent Secretary, Human Resources, Capacity Building and Public Service Office, Mr Leye Aina.

APC to Adeleke: Be Humble Enough to Admit Your Blunders

The Osun APC, has described the setting up of various review Panels by Governor Ademola Adeleke as an afterthought and one designed to arrive at  predetermined outcomes.

Urging him to be humble enough to accept his blunders so far, the party also called on the governor to settle down to study the handover notes so as to prevent the blunders he was committing.

Adeleke had at inauguration announced the invalidation of some of the decisions of his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola, including the sacking of some workers and monarchs.

He however promised to back it up with an Executive Order the next day, which he did.

However, by yesterday morning, his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, claimed that they neither sacked any worker nor dethroned any monarch.

He said, “There was never sack of any worker or traditional ruler. We only set up review panel. It is impossible to sack and put review panel in place. The review panel is to look at the numbers of the people that were employed, due processes of the employment, and qualification among other things.”

But the APC believed that both Adeleke and his spokesperson were confused.

Thus, in a statement by its Director of Operations, Hon. Sunday Akere, the APC said, “We told you from day one that these people have nothing to offer. We can all see from their first action that they are even confused.

“They had told us long ago that they were coming to sack. They came and announced it. Why set up a panel after taking a decision? What they are doing can be likened to doing ablution after observing prayers. Who does that?

“You have asked traditional rulers to step aside, yet, you want a panel to do a review. Are they taking up the role of the judiciary as well because we are aware that some of the cases are already in court?

“Furthermore, we know for a fact that our government enthroned over 20 monarchs before we left. Why focus on just three? And of these three, one was our former party chairman. Is there no political undertone in all of these?

“Nigerians must be aware that the panels are going to work from the answers. And since the answers are known, why waste taxpayers’ money unnecessarily? The governor should be humble enough to admit his blunders. He appears to lack the basic understanding of how governance works,” the APC added.