Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has disclosed that his administration has continued to sustain national programmes inherited from his predecessors.

Governor Adeleke reiterated that, over the last year, his administration has financed projects primarily from state resources.

These revelations were part of Governor Adeleke’s New Year message to residents of the state on Wednesday.

The governor also revealed that the state’s resources include internally generated revenue and allocations from the federation account. He added that he has not been accessing security votes and has not borrowed any funds to run the state government.

The address reads in part:
“In the last one year and since I assumed office, our projects have been financed mainly from state resources. This includes internally generated revenue and allocations from the federation account. Just as I have not been accessing security votes, I have not borrowed a single kobo to run the state government.

“As a responsible state in Nigeria, we are part and parcel of programmes and activities of the National Economic Council and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. We inherited many national programmes from the previous APC governments. We continue to sustain those programmes when and if they benefit our people.”

Governor Adeleke urged those seeking information about his administration to take advantage of the Freedom of Information Act.

He said:
“My good people of Osun, I have kept faith with my pledge for transparency and accountability as your state governor. In the last one year, we received and processed several requests for information based on the Freedom of Information Act. We ensured access to information as a transparent and accountable government.

“As democracy is a government for the people, of the people, and by the people, I call on those seeking specific data on government programmes to take advantage of the Freedom of Information Act. Specifically, I urge the opposition to join the state government as we turn the fortunes of our state for the better. We are all stakeholders.”

DAILY POST gathered that the governor’s revelation comes in the wake of allegations leveled against him by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

During an end-of-year address on Monday, Kola Olabisi, the Director of Media and Information for the Osun APC, accused the state government of secretly signing and obtaining a combined foreign loan of $51 million (N81.6 billion equivalent), using an exchange rate of N1,600 to $1.

Olabisi maintained that the current administration is on the verge of plunging the state into a deep financial crisis, urging the people of the state to hold Adeleke accountable for alleged financial recklessness.

According to the APC, the claim that Adeleke’s administration has not obtained any loans since its inception is untrue, as part of the state’s 2024 budget is being financed through the NG-CARES facility.

Reacting to the allegations, the spokesperson for the governor, Olawale Rasheed, dismissed the APC’s claims.

Olawale categorically denied that Osun State had acquired foreign loans under NG-CARES.

Osun gov, Adeleke defends self in New Year Day broadcast to resident