By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday challenged the state governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, to disclose the whereabouts of the 1,250 bags of rice sent by President Tinubu to the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for Christmas and New Year festivities.
Information has it that the consignment of the 1,250 presidential bags of rice meant for the Osun CAN was taken delivery of by the state government but misappropriated by those saddled with the responsibility to do justice in that regard.
According to the Osun State chairman of the APC, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal while fielding questions from journalists in Osogbo the Osun State capital through the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, it was a great height of insensitivity and callousness for Governor Adeleke to have diverted the 1,250 bags of rice particularly gifted to the state chapter of CAN by the Presidency.
Lawal stated that if the rice issue came about as a mix-up by the government functionaries, it is never too late for Governor Adeleke to investigate the matter, return the rice to the rightful owners and tender unreserved apologies
The state APC chairman noted that it was strange that the government which is supposed to be empowering the men of God is the same entity which is depriving them of their entitlements sent to them by the Federal Government.
In Lawal’s words: “If Governor Adeleke did not consider it worthy to take care of the men of God during Christmas and New Year festivities, what right had he to rob them of their entitlements which were only sent through him?
“We won’t back down as a party until the issue of the stolen rice belonging to the Osun CAN is resolved in favour of the rightful owners as we won’t on the previous 17,000 bags of 50kg rice and 8,000 bags of maize donated to Osun state by the Federal Government but which the same Adeleke hoarded, looted and diverted to create perception problems for the APC federal government.
“Why is it that it is only in Osun State in the South-West that the CAN was deprived of its rice meant for the festivities?
“It would be recalled that before the last general elections in the state, Adeleke as the PDP governorship candidate then, could go to any length to satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of the religious bodies in the state.
“But today, he has become a sharp and exact opposite of what he projected himself to be during the electioneering. Is he putting up this wicked and dishonorable attitude because he reasons he no longer needs the support of the Christian body?
“It is the same way that leads to the top that also leads to the ground, he should realize. It is imperative that Adeleke and his handlers produce the 1,250 bags of rice stolen from the men of God in Osun State if they do not want to attract the anger of the Almighty God”, the state APC chairman added.
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