The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Osun State has demanded the immediate removal from office of Femi Akande as the Attorney General and Osun State Commissioner for Justice over his alleged role in the appointment of his wife, Yeside Oyinkansola Akande, as his Personal Assistant.
Also, the party has described as funny the growing nepotistic attitude of the state governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, and his team as regards appointments into public offices in the state.
In a statement signed by Sunday Bisi, Chairman of Osun State Chapter of the PDP and obtained by Daily Post, PDP warned of the dire consequences of turning Osun into a personalist dictatorship on public service, transparency, and economic wellbeing of the state.
It alleged that Mr. Akande has proven to be unworthy of the sensitive office he heads as commissioner and as such is unfit to roam around the administration of justice in Osun State, unless the governor is complicit as evident on the appointment letter.
According to the party, “The recent leakage of the approval by Gboyega Oyetola, of the appointment of Mrs. Yeside Akande, wife of the Attorney General and Commissioner in the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Femi Akande as personal assistant to the latter was not only an eyesore, but confirms the fears of our party on the height of nepotism Mr. Oyetola has introduced to governance in Osun State.
“The PDP having been inundated with several petitions by concerned residents of the state over sharp practices and mind-boggling, fraudulent political appointments under the reign of governor Oyetola, now have all doubts expunged with such appointment of Mrs. Yeside Akande as personal assistant to her husband commissioner for justice in the state.
“If such cronyism could be contemplated and exercised in the justice ministry of the state, one then wonders, how messy governance has gone in the state under the watch of a man still struggling with the irremovable toga of a mandate usurper.
“That the letter of the laughable appointment of Mrs. Akande as Personal Assistant to her husband was also backdated to almost five months earlier also speaks volume of a deeply corrupt government masquerading about in sheep garments.
“No human society would thrive with an administrative tyrant that the governor is trying to position himself, not to talk of a highly wired Osun State of 2021 and beyond.
“Mr. Governor’s open embrace of hereditary impunity appears to us more like a criminal building an empire of criminals to cover for an initial stain of criminality.
“Governor Oyetola is advised to halt such desperate fear of his own shadow and reverse his cult of personality gear without further delay for the sake of Osun State.”
It warned the APC government to desist from the wanton lopsidedness in the alleged recent conversions of some civil servants carried out Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
“About thirty of the officers who benefitted from the secret conversion exercise superintended by the governor with the active connivance of the state Head Of Service, Comrade Olowogboyega were said to be from the governor’s hometown of Iragbiji.
“The Governor in our opinion, should come out clean against the impunity in his veins as a subtle tyrant apparent next time such forms for conversion and elevation for civil servants are put on sale, by indicating that only his cronies and members of his family in Iragbiji should buy the forms instead of disguising with the civil service application to siphon money from innocent applicants.
“Mr. Governor should be told in clear terms that sectionalising or personalising the state civil service with cronies for obvious parochial intents is not and can never serve the state productively.
“Even if the governor fires all the Permanent Secretaries that are not of his family and clan and appoint fellows as personal aides to his cabinet members, it won’t augment for the open frauds his government is trying hard to cover from the eye of the public.
“In the end, history will find him guilty of fraudulent cronyism against the overall interest of the state.”
While describing the governor and his aides as absolute monarchists in a constitutional democracy, the PDP called on Oyetola to be prepared for the inevitable consequence of such deep-seated corruption induced personalist system being fostered on the state.
Daily Post recalls that on February 4, 2020, the state government in a letter by the Secretary to the State Government, Oluwole Oyebamiji, and marked SS/EX/02/VOL.195, approved the appointment of Mrs. Yeside Oyinkansola Akande as personal assistant to the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
The letter reads, “I am pleased to inform you that the Governor of the State of Osun, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola has approved your appointment as Personal Assistant to the Attorney-General and Hon. Commissioner for Justice with effect from 24 October, 2019.
“While congratulating you on this well-deserved appointment, the State Government counts much on you that this elevation would enhance your performance with a view to moving the State of Osun to greater heights.
“Congratulations and best wishes for a fruitful tenure of office.”
