Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, yesterday started his administration on a tough note making some key reversals on the government’s policies.

Adeleke, who took over the mantle of leadership from his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola, in Osogbo, the state capital, reversed all appointments made by former governor Oyetola between July 17 and November 26, 2022.

Shortly after taking his oath of office at the expansive Osogbo Township Stadium, Adeleke also made executive orders freezing all bank accounts of the state.

It was an ecstatic moment as scores of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) within and outside the state trooped out and decked in branded Ankara Fabric with Fez Caps.

The former Senator said a new era has come.

It would be recalled that the Federal High Court in Osogbo had earlier dissolved the recently constituted local government council’s caretaker management members inaugurated by the All Progressives Congress administration recently.

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Adeleke said, “It is not business as usual. We are here for serious business. My administration will as a matter of urgency convey an education conference to arrest the decline of Osun education among the comity of states.

“Let me make the following executive orders. Shortly after my emergence on July 17, my predecessor Alhaji Isiaka Oyetola started making appointments and awarding contracts without budgetary allocations. Reversal of all appointments from July 17, 2022, with immediate effect.”

Other executive orders made by the new governor are the immediate reversal of the state name to Osun State instead of the State of Osun

“The State of Osun is unconstitutional and it’s hereby reversed,” Adeleke said.

He also ordered the immediate establishment of a panel to look into the activities of the last administration in its twilight.

Adeleke saluted the founding fathers of the state past administrators and governors of Osun state as well as everyone who has contributed in one way or the other to the development of Osun state in the past 31 years.

He extended a hand of fellowship to other arms of government, the legislatures, and the judiciary.

The governor urged all political parties to unite in the best interest of the state as the election is now over.

Adeleke promised to provide qualitative education and give utmost priority to the welfare of workers in the state.

The new governor is a younger brother to the first executive governor of the state, the late Isiaka Adeleke.

*Oyetola: I left N14bn in coffers

Meanwhile, the former governor, Oyetola, earlier yesterday said he left N14bn in the state’s coffers for his successor, Adeleke.

Oyetola, in a farewell message made available to journalists by his media aide, Mr Ismaila Omipidan, stated that his administration paid N97bn of the debt it inherited in 2018 when he assumed office.

The former governor said his administration did not borrow any money from anywhere to finance the state’s economy, stressing that he kept the faith and maintained fidelity to his electoral promises throughout his tenure.

“We are leaving behind a cash balance of more than N14bn. In addition to the N14bn cash, another N8bn is expected between December and January 2023 from our performance in States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability programme (SFTAS) and Internally Generated Revenue.

SFTAS is a government programme designed to advance fiscal transparency, accountability, and sustainability of states of the federation.

“For four years, we did not take any bank loan. We benefitted from the N3bn monthly interventions by the Federal Government to all the states for six months to cushion the effect of deductions from the budget support facility and salary bailouts taken by the previous administration. We paid N97bn from the total debt we inherited in 2018,” he explained.

Oyetola added that the state was also expecting $72m from other programmes and the NG-CARES programme of the Federal Government, among others.

He added, “These are earned, based on performance. And we have indeed performed to earn them.”

Oyetola stated also that his administration put the state’s economy on a surer footing through its myriad people-centred and masses-focused projects, promptly executed to make life worthwhile for the people.

He stressed that Osun’s economy stabilised during his tenure as manifested in the astronomical increment in the GDP of the state.

The ex-governor affirmed that Osun was more stable economically than he met it in 2018 despite all the visible socio-economic challenges that confronted the state.

He stated that he contained the fears and evils of fiscal indiscipline and lack of implementation which hampered the execution of projects and delivery of services.

“As I step aside today following the conclusion of the four-year tenure you freely gave me, I thank God and I thank the people of Osun for your support, cooperation, and prayers over the years.

“I recall how the journey began four years ago; how by your belief in me and your conviction in the plans and programmes of our party, the All Peoples Congress (APC), you exercised your right to vote for me.

“As we draw the curtains on this first tenure, we are convinced that we neither reneged on our promise nor disappointed you. We kept faith with you and maintained fidelity with our electoral promises,” Oyetola stated.

He said he wished to continue to serve the people of Osun but was constrained by the outcomes of the July 16 governorship election, which, he said he was already challenging in court.

“As a law-abiding citizen and government, we are stepping aside to allow the law to take its course. We look forward to continuing to serve you in no distant future.

“We have absolute trust in God that we shall be back soon as we have implicit trust and confidence in the Judiciary to do justice in the case before it,” he stated

Oyetola stated also that he was confident that this period of the temporary political eclipse would pass.

“The sun shall shine again, brighter and warmer and the sustainable development and participatory governance that we enthroned, which were applauded by local and international organisations, shall be restored and put on a surer and better footing.

“There can be no substitute for people-oriented and development-savvy governance in a democracy. The taproots of the unprecedented good governance, inclusive and participatory governance that we introduced, which delivered massive equitable projects and programmes, are too strong to be uprooted.

“As we end our first term, rest assured that Osun is a more stable economy than we met in 2018 and it remained the most peaceful state in the country under our leadership,” he stated.

Oyetola stressed that he went through stewardship to let the people know that Osun was sustainable and that he did it through fiscal discipline and personal sacrifices.