By Sunday Oguntuyi, Osogbo
The spokesperson to the Osun State Governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, has said Governor Ademola Adeleke is running a “value-for-money” administration anchored on due process and procurement laws, while dismissing allegations by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) over alleged wasteful spending and a purported ₦1 trillion mismanagement claim.
Speaking during an interview on Westernspring Television in Osogbo, Rasheed described the allegations credited to APC chieftain Remi Omowaiye as false and misleading, insisting that all projects executed by the state government are verifiable and visible to residents.
“It is an ill-informed claim to accuse the governor of spending ₦92 billion on feeding. That is completely false. Such allegations are either borne out of mischief or financial illiteracy,” he said.
He further argued that budgetary allocations across government are often misrepresented when isolated from institutional structures.
“The Governor’s Office comprises several agencies. It is misleading to attribute every expenditure in government to the governor personally, just as it would be wrong to attribute all federal spending to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he added.
Rasheed accused the opposition APC of politicising infrastructure development and what he described as a “war against local content,” insisting that the Adeleke administration is deliberately prioritising Osun-based professionals in project execution.
“The APC has launched what we can describe as a war against local content. But we are responding with performance and measurable results. We believe in our people and we are empowering them through contracts and opportunities,” he said.
He defended the quality of ongoing infrastructure projects, including roads and bridges, stating that they meet global engineering standards and are being executed transparently.
“If the critic is truly an engineer, it is unfortunate to disparage Osun professionals handling major infrastructure projects. Comparing projects like Olaiya Bridge with others across the state clearly shows the difference in quality and execution,” he said.
“All our projects are top-notch, from roads and bridges to schools and health facilities. The results are visible and speak for themselves.”
According to him, government spending has been spread across key sectors including health, education, agriculture, water infrastructure, empowerment programmes, pensions, and staff welfare.
“Osun has not squandered its resources. Every project is people-oriented and verifiable. We are also working under constraints created by the opposition’s interference in local government funds,” he added.
On sectoral reforms, Rasheed said the administration has completed legal and policy frameworks for the electricity sector, including the signing of the Osun Electricity Market Bill into law.
He explained that the next phase would involve the establishment of a regulatory commission to drive energy investments and improve power supply in the state.
In the area of digital economy, he said Osun is making steady progress through policies aimed at strengthening innovation and youth development.
“When this administration came in, there was no ICT policy. Today, Osun has an ICT policy, a technology innovation framework, and a domesticated Start-up Act. A digital economy advisory council is also in place,” he said.
Rasheed also highlighted achievements in education, noting the establishment of the University of Ilesa as a major milestone of the administration.
“Governor Adeleke turned the University of Ilesa from a proposal into reality. That reflects a government focused on delivery rather than rhetoric,” he said.
On agriculture, he disclosed that the state has distributed tractors and seedlings under its agricultural expansion programme, including cocoa, cashew, and oil palm seedlings, while thousands of acres of farmland have been cultivated.
He also referenced what he described as broad-based support for the administration, claiming endorsements from across the state and citing traditional acknowledgment of inclusive development.
Despite challenges, Rasheed said the administration has recorded significant progress in road construction, school rehabilitation, healthcare upgrades, and worker welfare.
“Governor Adeleke is delivering under difficult circumstances. If not for the local government crisis created by the opposition, the state would have achieved even more,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the administration’s performance would translate into political support ahead of future elections, insisting that “results, not propaganda,” will define public judgment.