Former Commissioner for Finance under the Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Mr Adewale Oshinowo has blasted the incumbent governor of the state, Chief Dapo Abiodun over the allegation that he met an empty treasury.

Oshinowo, in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday, said the “empty treasury slogan”, was infamous as it was to discredit and denigrate Amosun, saying Abiodun should stop chasing shadows.

Abiodun, few days after his inauguration, said he borrowed N7b from his friends, who he said are Managing Directors of different banks, to pay May salary of Ogun Government workers, as there was no money in the coffers of the state.

But Oshinowo said the Abiodun-led government inherited over N8.218 billion, comprising N5.735 billion from the Federation Account (FAAC/JAAC) and N2.483 billion from the Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

According to him, the N10.6 billion refund for Pay As You Earn (PAYE) due to Ogun State, which he said the Amosun government had laboured three years to obtain had also been paid to Abiodun immediately he took over the reigns of power.

Oshinowo posited that

“Abiodun would need to explain to the public the reason and motive behind the N7b loan he claimed to have obtained on May 30, “with undisclosed interest rates.”

The former Commissioner expressed worry that the Gov Abiodun did not follow due process, as the Ogun State House of Assembly did not approve the N7b loan.

“It is the usual practice that for such large sums of money to be borrowed from financial institutions, the Ogun State Executive Council must debate and ratify it and the concurrent approval of the Ogun State House of Assembly must be obtained. At the National level, both the Federal Ministry of Finance and Debt Management Office (DMO) must also give written approval as part of the process for obtaining a loan. Clearly, none of these mandatory approvals was complied with before the said suspicious and questionable loans were ‘supposedly’ taken.”

“Indeed this calls to question the compliance level of the Dapo Abiodun led administration with extant laws and financial regulations” Oshinowo added.

The erstwhile Finance Commissioner also cleared the air on the allegations by Abiodun’s Chief Press Secretary, Tunde Somorin, that there was N2.5b difference in the state wage bill, which they said stands at N7b and not N9.5b as it was claimed during Amosun’s regime.

“Gov. Dapo Abiodun’s claim that there were discrepancies and variances on the state monthly payroll is another area of concern that requires clarifications. In a statement on 25 June, 2019, one Kunle Somorin, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Dapo Abiodun said inter-alia … “They aren’t talking about the inflated wage bill. Amosun claims to be paying N2.5billion higher than what was borrowed to pay in full.”

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“What the present Government has clearly failed to comprehend is that in addition to the salary obligations of the Civil Service, the State also pays emoluments and allowances for the other two tiers of Government; the entire Public Service consisting of various Parastatals, Agencies and other auxiliary workers. Also noteworthy is the fact that Government as part of its monthly obligations pays for other essential services.

“Therefore, the current administration should endeavor not to play politics with the State accounting processes as it will have grave consequences and economic implications for stakeholders, such as investors, donor agencies, international and multilateral financial agencies, all of whom by the twilight of the Amosun Administration rated Ogun State as the Number One destination for sub-national investments in Nigeria. A house destroyed may be difficult to rebuild.

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“We, therefore, advise the Dapo Abiodun led administration to focus on germane economic fundamentals and strategies that will uplift the State and concentrate on building on the solid foundation laid by his predecessor rather than chasing shadows,” the statement read in part.

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“in the open the Ogun State that we inherited,” however, vowed not to make issues out of his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s actions or inactions. According to him, “we have by far, too many things to do than to begin to be bogged down by what someone did or what he did not do. “30th of May was our first day in office. And on the 31st, it dawned on me that it was the end of the month and we need to pay salary.

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“So, I called the Head of Service. I told him that we must pay salary. But he said to me that ‘you’re new in government and everybody understands that you just assumed office and we don’t have that expectation of you paying salary now. They (workers) will understand. There is very little or no money. We can talk to them.’

“But I told the HoS ‘either they are expectant or not, it is my promise to the people that salaries will be paid as and when due.’ So, I picked my phone and called my friends who are MDs at different banks.

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“I told them I need to pay salaries and this is the little I have; almost nothing in the state account. I requested for a credit facility to allow me to pay over N7 billion which is the state wage bill. That day, my intention was that maybe one or two will oblige me, but the five banks that I called obliged me,” he said.