Four ministers, their permanent secretaries and their heads of finance and procurement departments have been given a seven-day ultimatum by the public accounts committee of the House of Representatives to appear before it.
The committee threatened that failure to appear before it within the given time will see relevant laws invoked against them.
The affected ministers are Rauf Aregbesola (Interior), Ali Pantami (Communications and Digital Economy), Prof Osagie Ehanire (Health), Sharon Ikeazor (Environment), Babatunde Fashola (Works and Housing).
The Chairman of the committee, Oluwole Oke summoned the ministers during an investigative hearing held on Tuesday over the alleged refusal by the ministers and officials of their ministries to respond to audit queries issued by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation over the years.
Oke while addressing the former Governor of Osun State, charged him to appear before it with the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the head of the Federal Fire Service.
He directed the clerk of the committee to dispatch the notice to the affected ministries and a copy to be sent to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); and the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari, respectively.
Oke said, “Today makes it the fifth time the Ministry of Works and Housing will be asking for another extension of time on the audit queries raised against it over the years. For how long shall we continue like this? Mr President honoured some people with public appointments but to pay him back, they will not be alive to their responsibilities. This is very unfortunate.
“We are only asking them to make appearances before the committee to clarify issues on financial infractions raised by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, nothing more!”
As the feud between Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State and his predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior festers, there are reports that their political godfather, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has thrown his weight behind the governor, raising anxiety in the state’s political cycle.
The fight between Oyetola and Aregbesola over the control of the APC structure in the state has divided members of the party into two camps. Aregbesola’s camp is known as The Osun Progressive (TOP) while the mainstream faction belongs to Oyetola tagged IleriOluwa, the governor’s campaign slogan.
The chairman of the party in the state, Prince Adegboyega Famodun and many prominent party leaders, state and federal legislators, and political office holders are with Oyetola. Majority of those that served in Aregbesola’s government have remained loyal to him and belong to the TOP camp.
The recently concluded ward, local government and state congresses of the party further exposed the depth of the crisis. The minister’s camp has gone to court to challenge the congresses.
Until recently, most people believe that Aregbesola was the determiner of most decisions taken by Tinubu over the years. Tinubu was Aregbesola’s godfather and boss.
Aregbesola served under Tinubu as commissioner for Works in Lagos for eight years and had huge influence in Lagos politics even when he was governor in Osun.
However, Aregbesola’s influence in Lagos politics eventually dwindled when he became minister of Interior after his tenure in Osun.
Oyetola, who served as Chief of Staff under Aregbesola for eight years, is Tinubu’s relative. Some leading politicians in Osun who spoke on condition of anonymity said Tinubu was not happy that Aregbesola did not work for Oyetola’s victory in the 2018 governorship election in Osun and was equally unhappy with Aregbesola’s political moves in Abuja.
APC members in the IleriOluwa and TOP acknowledged that Tinubu is supporting Oyetola in the crisis between the governor and Aregbesola. Those that spoke with our correspondent pleaded anonymity.
One of the leaders of TOP said; “Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is supporting Oyetola against Aregbesola. It is expected. It’s normal for him to support his brother. They want to cut Aregbesola’s wings because of Oyetola. We don’t know Aregbesola’s offence.
“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should play the role of a leader rather than supporting his brother against the minister.”
But a member of the IleriOluwa group said Aregbesola’s issue with Tinubu was not because of Oyetola.
He said “Oyetola was not the reason for the demobilisation of Aregbesola’s structure in Lagos politics. It’s because of his political moves in Abuja to contest for the presidency. It’s not as if Tinubu is supporting Oyetola against Aregbesola.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Ismail Omipidan, declined comment on the issue.
Political observers in the state posit that APC might find it very difficult to win the forthcoming governorship election in the state unless the crisis is resolved and both camps work together.
When contacted, the media aide to Tinubu, Mr. Tunde Rahman, said Asiwaju was committed to amicably resolving the issue between Oyetola and Aregbesola.
He said the matter of 2022 governorship election or the second term of Governor Oyetola is not yet on the table.
“Whatever it is that you say is happening between Governor Oyetola and his predecessor, minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, will be resolved amicably. That’s the resolve of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and what he is totally committed to at present.
“The matter of 2022 or second term of Governor Oyetola will take care of itself when the time comes. Of course, if you ask me, does Governor Oyetola deserve a second term? I would say of course; absolutely.
“I think Governor Oyetola has demonstrated that he is qualified for a second term by his performance thus far, by the competence and character that he has brought unto the job,” he said.
MINISTER of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, on Sunday warned that people that lacked his kind of political pedigree could not displace him in the fold of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State.
This is according to a statement signed by Sola Fasure, the Media Adviser to the minister who is the immediate past governor of Osun State. Aregbesola had visited Ilesa on Friday to revalidate his APC membership, where he addressed his supporters.
The statement read in part, “Ogbeni Aregbesola reminded the people that Chief Bola Ige was their leader and stood all his life for a compassionate government, commitment to the good of the majority and ideas that would bring the good life, happiness, progress and security to the people. He urged them to be conscious of those who continue to dance on Ige’s grave and avoid anything that would dishonour the late statesman’s memory.
“Ogbeni Aregbesola assured the people of working towards greater success of the party and of his commitment to progressive ideals. He reminded them that he emerged in Osun on the Oranmiyan platform 17 years ago, and with others fought the agents of darkness and regression and firmly consolidated the party in the state.
“This effort has produced two successive progressive administrations in the state and also won presidential and national legislative elections thrice since then, noting that it would be difficult for those who lack such pedigree to displace him in the party in the state.”
Though the former Governor’s statement seems open enough but those who are familiar with the political intrigues in the State will know it is systemic shade at the one time Deputy Governor of the State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who just recently announced his total defection to the APC. Omisore was accused of having a hand in the death of Chief Bola Ige, though he was never found guilty but the accusation was used by Oranmiyan group to campaign against the one time senator while the minister was vying the topmost position in the State.
It is therefore very clear those Aregbesola claimed that some members of the party are dancing on Bola Ige’s grave, since Omisore was pinned with the death of the former attorney general of the federation who was murdered in his home some years back.
