The Punch newspaper has apologized profusely to minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola over the malicious story of World Bank grant published by the news outlet.
In the page 9 of its publication this Monday, the Punch’s Editor says, ” In our Saturday edition of March 8, 2024, we published a story with the headline, ‘Adeleke petitions EFCC, alleges ex-gov Oyetola stole $20m, N1.5bn.
We have since discovered that Oyetola, who is currently the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, is not accused of stealing. The petition alleges misappropriation and money laundering during the ex-governor’s administration. The error in the use of word is not meant to embarrass the honourable ministry. The mixup is regretted.”
Recall media was awash last weekend when newspapers ran with headlines which have now been busted to be fake, misleading and defamatory from the stable of the Senator Ademola Adeleke-led government of Osun State Government targeted against the ex-governor of the state, Oyetola.
In the defence of Oyetola, the Osun APC had issue a rebuttal, claiming the press statement of the Osun State Government suggesting that $20m ( N6.4bn) World Bank grant extended to the state during the administration was stolen, was “a tissue of lies planted by the Adeleke government to soil the enviable reputation of Oyetola after Adeleke had lost grip of governance and had realized that the PDP would lose a re-election bid in 2026.”
In a press conference addressed by All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday, the party maintained that, “Not only was the fund used to improve health in the state, the contract awards followed the relevant procurement laws of the state. We make bold to state that no Commissioner, Adviser or Appointee of ex-Governor Oyetola was awarded contracts while serving in his government. We challenge the state government, who is now on a witch-hunting mission, to publish names of contractors and date of contract awards to substantiate their evil narrative.
The party said further, “Does Governor Adeleke think trumping lies to cast aspersion on the government of his predecessor will make the EFCC to sweep under the carpet the investigation against Adeleke’s lapdog, the Deputy Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Akinyode Oyewusi and Kazeem Akinleye, the Chief of Staff to Governor Adeleke?
APC highlighted that two companies founded by the current deputy speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Raregode Nigeria Limited and Acumen Forte Limited were awarded joint contracts worth over N10 billion. “Raregode Limited is a fertilizer distribution company with no history of road construction but strangely, the Adeleke government awarded the whooping contracts to it. Similarly, the Chief of Staff to Governor Adeleke, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, used his closeness to government to obtain for a company founded by him, Akinkaz Interbiz Limited, government contracts. The company was awarded multi-billionaire TETFUND project in Osun State University ( UNIOSUN) and University of Ilesa.”
The opposition party in the state also used the occasion of the press briefing “to expose how statecraft has become a laughing stock and family affairs in Osun,” explaining how the business mogul and Governor Adeleke’s elder brother, “Dr Deji Adeleke obtained borehole contract at insanely inflated sum of N14 million per borehole.”
APC alleged that many of the 332 boreholes billed to be constructed across all the 332 wards in the state were left undone.
Whereas many newspapers carried the ostensibly libelous story against ex-Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, it is not clear if others have retracted and apologized to the minister.
