Oyetola’s Commissioner Flays Osun PDP Chairman Over Comment On Lockdown Palliatives

The Commissioner for Youth and Sports in Osun State, Yemi Lawal has described the allegations of bias in the distribution of lockdown palliatives against Governor Gboyega Oyetola-led adminstration by the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Hon Soji Adagunodo as watery, crude and laughable.

Lawal in a statement he personally signed on Saturday said Adagunodo lacks basic knowledge about the scheme and supposed to have sought clarifications from the PDP lawmakers in the state assembly.

The statement reads, ” Hon. Yemi Lawal received with great shock, the embarrassing and watery statement made by the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party in Osun, Hon. Soji Adagunodo accusing Governor Gboyega Oyetola-led administration and the Honorable Commissioner for youth and sports of making the COVID-19 palliatives available for member of the APC alone. He was also specific about the ATM cards being distributed to beneficiaries of SGT $ PWF.

“The commissioner says he wouldn’t have glorified the nothingness in the statement made by the chairman, but there is need to set the record straight and more importantly, tutor the Chairman on what he needs to know. I just hope he’s a good learner to avoid subsequent display of public ignorance.

“Firstly, it’s not a crime anywhere in the world for opposition party to commend and condemn where necessary. But it’s obvious the opposition PDP has lost the sense of being the real opposition it ought to be. What could be more “crude, obsolete, reckless and laughable” than when a Chairman of a party like PDP couldn’t get himself equipped with facts before going out to embarrass the few respected and revered members of his party?

“Governor Gboyega Oyetola undoubtedly deserves gratitude in the way he has handled the fight against the pandemic. He had deployed all state machinery to ensure that the contagion is contained. The swift response to the issue of the Abidjan returnees will forever remain a heroic thing to do as Osun would have been in trouble if the proactive steps were not taken.

“The YESSO scheme which is under the supervision of Ministry of Youth and Sports has the aged and people living with disabilities captured under the Special Grant Transfer while the less privileged among the youths were captured under the Public Workfare. The beneficiaries under SGT are 15289 across the state while the PWF has 10618 beneficiaries. All these explanations and clarifications have been made by the Honourable Commissioner while he appeared before the State Assembly during the week. He further stressed that the data was first captured in 2014 and always been validated and upgraded on yearly basis until 2019. He made it abundantly clear that people according to reports, were reluctant to come out as they don’t want to be captured as poor and vulnerable.

“The beneficiaries have always been paid in the past in cash. To ensure transparency and accountability, the Governor in his usual and characteristic manner decided to produce cards for beneficiaries. This will go a long way to ensure openness, transparency and accountability in the scheme.

“The Chairman of the party didn’t deem it fit to look into why cash payment was replaced with debit cards. He should have gotten firsthand information from members of his party who are lawmakers and were on ground when the Commissioner was making all these clarifications on the floor of the House of Assembly earlier on Thursday. We just hope he still has access to these lawmakers as the party has been deeply divided.

“Hon. Yemi Lawal, the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sports swung into action immediately the Governor gave the order for the payment of money to the beneficiaries at this trying period. This is to cushion the effects of this lockdown on the good people of Osun.

“The members of the People’s Democratic Party should caution their chairman to avoid putting shame on their face in the future. We have succeeded in exaggerating the emptiness of Hon. Soji Adagunodo because he really needs to know what he needs to know. The people of Osun are not ignorant. As a supposed elder statesman, it will do him a world of good if he can eat the humble pie and set the record straight for his few gullible followers. A rabble-rouser cannot possibly lead any party to victory. We hope to engage you in matters of importance in the near future and not baseless and unfounded allegations like this.

“We commend Governor Gboyega Oyetola for his concerted efforts in the fight against the pandemic and we encourage him to do more. Posterity shall judge everyone accordingly. Osun people are watching.