The political fireworks in Osun State are at it again, this time over the state’s debt profile. The Osun State Government under Governor Ademola Adeleke claims to have drastically reduced the debt burden inherited from the previous administration, but the All Progressives Congress (APC) insists otherwise.
Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, was serious as he defended his boss’s financial stewardship. According to him, the Adeleke administration has worked tirelessly to reduce the state’s debt by significant margins over the last two years.
Rasheed wasted no time blaming the APC-led past government for plunging the state into debt in the first place. His figures, supposedly from the Debt Management Office (DMO), claim that domestic debt dropped from ₦148.37 billion in December 2022 to ₦86.06 billion by June 2024, while foreign debt declined from $91.78 million to $78.17 million within the same period.
Rasheed’s comment wasn’t just about numbers, it was also an exercise in pointing fingers. “The APC is behind the fabricated report that falsely claims Adeleke has increased the state’s debt. These are the same people who left us in this financial mess,” he said, adding that the governor’s administration has shown “transparency and accountability” unlike its predecessor. Rasheed accused the opposition of using an online newspaper to spread “fake news,” claiming the numbers from the DMO debunked their lies.
But the APC isn’t about to let Adeleke’s camp have the last word. Kola Olabisi, spokesperson for the state’s APC chapter, fired back, dismissing Rasheed’s claims as “afterthoughts.” According to Olabisi, “The figures Rasheed is parading are questionable at best. It’s public knowledge that the debt profile under Adeleke has increased, not decreased.” He also advised the current administration to quit using the opposition as a scapegoat for its perceived shortcomings.
The Adeleke administration is merely spinning the narrative to save face. “They can’t keep blaming us for their failures,” Olabisi declared, adding that the public would ultimately see through the theatrics.
For the people of Osun, this war of words is anything but amusing. While the government and opposition trade words, the state’s residents are left to wonder what’s really going on with their finances.
If the figures from Rasheed are true, why is there still widespread discontent over development in the state? And if the APC is right, why hasn’t the current administration provided undeniable evidence to counter their claims?
When will Nigerian politicians stop using public debt as a political weapon and start focusing on what really matters, improving the lives of the people?
