Gboyega Oyetola's former staff members have returned some of the government cars they were accused of stealing while in office.
Mr Oyetola, his wife Kafayat Oyetola, and a few members of his administration were given 48 hours to surrender the cars or face legal repercussions by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Mrs Oyetola has previously claimed that she used her own vehicle throughout her tenure as First Lady rather than stealing any government vehicles.
However, Mr Oyetola has defended his former employees, claiming that he gave the automobiles to them as a sign of his appreciation for their dedication to the government.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that the former governor and his officials may keep the automobiles in accordance with state law.
However, a senior official from the state's Bureau of General Service informed reporters on Tuesday that some of the employees had returned the government cars they had seized. The source sought to remain anonymous because he was unable to comment publicly on behalf of the organisation.
Some of the past commissioners, according to the unnamed source, were among them.
The source said that the commissioners are returning the cars covertly because "the governor told them 48 hours to do so."
The informant claims that on Monday, one of the commissioners returned with a Toyota Hilux vehicle.
“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 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 salaries, and 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 the 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 a 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 of 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.”