From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Osun State Governor-elect, Ademola Adeleke, has warned Governor Adegboyega Oyetola to shelve the purported plan to appoint 15 permanent secretaries before the end of his administration.
A statement by the spokesperson to the governor-elect, Olawale Rasheed, yesterday, said reports from Government House showed that the governor was already compiling names of loyalists he planned to appoint as permanent secretaries.
Noting that the plan was at advanced stage and the appointees may be announced any moment, Adeleke advised the governor to shelve the plan, saying “it amounts to exercising appointive power not only at the wrong time, but at a time the electorate has anointed a new leader.
“We note that Oyetola has been running the government with just about nine permanent secretaries for the past three and half years. How he came about the idea of increasing the number at the twilight of his administration’s tenure is still not clear.
“As an outgoing governor, it cannot be good intentioned for you to appoint critical officials like permanent secretaries when a new leader is about to take over the administration of the state,” Adeleke added.
Responding, Special Adviser to Oyetola on Political Matters, Sunday Akere, said the governor is covered by the law on any appointment he makes while still in government.
He said: “It is unfortunate that the PDP seems not to know what is right to what is wrong. For goodness sake the first term tenure of Oyetola ends on midnight of 26 November 2022 and whatever action or decision is taken by the governor is covered by the laws of the land.
“The PDP should wait for their turn if any and allow us to deliver on the mandate given to us by the people of Osun State,” Akere said.