By: Sodiq Lawal Chocomilo
I have listened to several arguments on the carting away of official cars by those who were privileged to serve in Oyetola-led administration.
When this agitation kicked-off by PDP members, loyalists of Adeleke dynasty and some residents of the state, I kept mute because I really do not see it as something important until this moment.
Sunday Akere, a former commissioner of information during the Aregbesola-led administration featured in an interview and publicly declared that carting away of official vehicles is a tradition.
Hon. Akere did not lie. Truly, carting of official vehicles was indeed a tradition in the state. It became a tradition in 2014 after Aregbesola’s aides who were not reappointed did not return their official vehicles.
It is no longer news that Hon. Sunday Akere was not reappointed as Commissioner for Information.
However, Hon. Sunday Akere was not the only beneficiary. In 2018, Aregbesola, his deputy and every political office holder who served in the cabinet including council chairmen did not return their official vehicles.
No single individual returned the official vehicle. Aregbesola took all the vehicles in his convoy to Lagos. He did not return any of his official vehicle.
Bisi Akande is the father of progressives in the state and was a governor in 1999. Baba Akande returned his official vehicles and mandated all his aides to do same.
The carting away of official vehicles did not start from the progressives. It actually started with Aregbesola. That’s the Genesis of carting away of official vehicles. It is one of the legacies of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
If Governor Adeleke genuinely wants to recover all official vehicles, he should start his recovery mission from Aregbesola’s tenure.
The current Minister of Interior must return all official vehicles he took away from the state and all his aides must do same.
Whatever is good for the goose should not be a poison for the gender. ALL official vehicles MUST BE RETURNED.
Requesting Oyetola’s aides to return official vehicles is half-justice.
Sodiq Lawal Chocomilo writes from Osogbo, the capital of Osun State
