7th June, 2015
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state, to sell the helicopter purchased for security surveillance and use the money from the sale to pay salaries of workers in the state, noting that, Aregbesola is using the helicopter for personal trips.
In a statement issued by Diran Odeyemi, Director, Media and Strategy of the PDP in Osun, he said: “The PDP is urging the government to sell the helicopter Governor Aregbesola said was procured for the state and he should stop frivolous trips to Cuba.
“What this administration told us was that the helicopter was to be used for surveillance, but we have since discovered that the machine is only serving the traveling needs of Aregbesola and his family. This remains one draining pipe that must be blocked.
“The governor and his aides should also forthwith stop traveling in chartered aircraft around the world. If President Muhammadu Buhari could be traveling on British Airways, even when aircrafts in Presidential fleet are available, there is need for Governor Aregbesola to borrow a leaf,” the statement read.
The party also accused the governor of wasting the the state’s resources on politics and arming of a group of youth he called State Boys. “Also, a group of miscreants called ‘State Boys’ are being illegal armed and financed by government to unleash terror on many indigenes of the state by the ruling party.
The PDP urged newly elected members of Osun Assembly not to allow themselves be rubber stamp of Aregbesola. “The people of the state now place their hope on the lawmakers to check the ‘excesses of the governor’ in the interest of the masses.”
“It is also fresh in our minds, the huge amount Ogbeni Aregbesola expended on the last Ekiti governorship poll, Lagos governorship poll, and the presidential project of the All Progressive Congress, APC.
“All these actions and many other wasteful spending led us to where we are now, which if they could be reversed, could bring financial reserves for the state.
“But if Ogbeni Aregbesola will not treat this advise with disdain, and henceforth, begin to act as governor of all, we believe at least, he will be able to pay few months of the backlog of salaries owed workers and retirees.”