Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has set up an eight-man panel that would implement the report and the white paper of the committee that reviewed the contracts awarded by the administration of the immediate past governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola.

The panel, as part of its mandate, will “ensure the prosecution of culprits through relevant agencies and implementing all institutional recommendations to prevent reoccurrence of distortions in contract award.”

The committee has as members the Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi; Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; Oluwole Jimi-Bada; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Dosu Babatunde; Commissioner for Health, Jola Akintola; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mr Bashiru Bello; and the Senior Special Assistant on Bureau of Social Services, Bello Sheriff.

Shortly after taking over the reins of government, Adeleke had alleged huge contract corruption by the previous administration. He then set up the contract review committee through an executive order.

A statement by the the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Thursday, said the new panel was charged with enforcing the recommendations of that original review committee and the subsequent white paper approved by the State Executive Council.

“The terms of reference of the panel include enforcing the recommendations in the committee report and white paper, ensuring prosecution of culprits through relevant agencies and implementing all institutional recommendations to prevent recurrence of distortions in contract award and management.

“The committee is expected to commence operations immediately by giving effect to each of the committee recommendations as approved by the State Executive Council.”

When contacted for reaction, the Osun State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Tajudeen Lawal, described the move by the governor as a ploy to cover up his alleged mismanagement of the state resources.

Lawal said it was “funny that an administration that awarded road/flyover contract to the serving deputy speaker of the state House of Assembly without following the due process would now suddenly consider the setting up of an implementation panel of the White Paper on the Contract Review Committee?”

“We wondered why was it a day after our party accused Governor Adeleke of awarding state road/flyover contracts to his brother and nephew that he(Adeleke) suddenly considered it expedient to set up an implementation committee.

“Adeleke should tread softly as Osun people are now wiser and knowledgeable enough to read the true motive of his action meant to unjustifiably victimise the opposition for having the effrontery to catalogue the series of frauds his government is perpetrating against the state in the name of prosecution of legacy projects.”