PDP To Aregbesola: Stop ‘Wasteful Spending’ Sell Surveillance Chopper To Raise Money For Workers’ Salaries

The Osun State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has advised the state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to sell the helicopter purchased for security surveillance and stop “wasteful spending” in order to raise money to pay workers in the state, who are being owed several months salaries.

The Osun PDP Director of Media and Strategy, Mr. Diran Odeyemi, gave this advice in a statement issued in Osoogbo, the state capital on Sunday.

The statement read, “The PDP is urging the government to sell the helicopter Governor Aregbesola said was procured for the state and he should stop frivolous trips to Cuba.

“What this administration told us was that the helicopter was to be used for surveillance, but we have since discovered that the machine is only serving the traveling needs of Mr. Aregbesola and his family. This remains one draining pipe that must be blocked.

“The governor and his aides should also forthwith stop traveling in chartered aircraft around the world. If President Muhammadu Buhari could be traveling on British Airways, even when aircrafts in Presidential fleet are available, there is need for Governor Aregbesola to borrow a leaf”.

The opposition party also accused Mr. Aregbesola of wasting the state’s lean resources on politics and arming of a group of youth known as “State Boys”.

The statement read further, “It is also fresh in our minds, the huge amount Ogbeni Aregbesola expended on the last Ekiti governorship poll, Lagos governorship poll, and the Presidential project of the All Progressive Congress, APC.

“Also, a group of miscreants called ‘State Boys’ are being illegal armed and financed by government to unleash terror on many indigenes of the state by the ruling party.

“All these actions and many other wasteful spending led us to where we are now, which if they could be reversed, could bring financial reserves for the state.

“But if Ogbeni Aregbesola will not treat this advice with disdain, and henceforth, begin to act as governor of all, we believe at least, he will be able to pay few months of the backlog of salaries owed workers and retirees”.

The PDP also called on the new members of the Osun State House of Assembly not to turn themselves to rubber stamp of the executive arm of the government.

According to the party, the people of the state now place their hopes on the lawmakers to check the “excesses of the governor” in the interest of the masses.