Ismail Omipidan, the spokesperson for Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, on Tuesday, January 23, criticized Governor Ademola Adeleke over the mining operations in Osun state.
Omipidan flayed Adeleke for claiming that Oyetola, the former governor, misappropriated dividends from the Segilola Mining Firm and challenged Adeleke to provide evidence for his claims.
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The Nation reports that Adeleke’s team led by his Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye while meeting the team of Segilola, alleged that under the past administration, shareholding with the firm was shrouded in secrecy and largely unvalidated.
Omipidan said: “Segilola worked cordially with the state for which the Oyetola government facilitated every waiver, and permit required for their operations. It remains on record that Segilola was the only firm cleared by the Oyetola government to continue working all through the COVID-19 Lockdown period which birthed the current growth the company has witnessed.
“The Segilola Mining firm has only briefed the government the same way it briefed Oyetola. As a responsible business entity, it is now time for Segilola to begin the payment of Osun’s dividends, a process that was initiated by Oyetola. If the Osun government is sincere, how come it is finding it difficult to disclose to Osun citizens that the Adelekes have some shareholdings in the Segilola Mining firm?
“Why name the Chief of Staff to the governor, Kazeem Akinleye, who is one of those overseeing the Adelekes’ investments in Osun government and beyond as the State’s representative on the board of Segilola and not Prof. Lukman Jumoda, Special Adviser on Mining and Mineral Matters, if it had nothing to hide? But for the administration’s conscious efforts at developing the sector, Osun would have since lost all its 17 mining licences.
“The Adeleke government should tell us the investors that have come in from Europe and Asia, going by their claim in November that the governor embarked on a working visit to Europe and Asia to woo investors. No foreign investors have been attracted to the state since 2022 when it was inaugurated.”
The Nation
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