Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, has strongly denied allegations of involvement in a ₦3.7 billion local government fraud, dismissing the claims as an attempt to tarnish his reputation.
The allegations, made by Adebayo Adeleke (Banik), a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs under ex-Governor Gboyega Oyetola, accused Alimi of overseeing suspicious withdrawals from the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) account, including a ₦600 million cash withdrawal broken into multiple ₦10 million transactions in a single day.
Addressing the accusations during a media chat with the Osun Online Publishers Association (OOPA) in Osogbo, Alimi denied any involvement, stating, “At no point in my tenure as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs was I a signatory to any local government account. The ALGON joint account is under the Director General of Finance, not the commissioner.”
Alimi dismissed Banik’s claims as politically motivated, insisting that if there was any real case against him, the appropriate legal steps should be taken rather than engaging in media attacks.
“If they believe I have a case to answer, they should petition the EFCC instead of making noise in the media,” he said.
Alimi warned that unless Banik and others behind the allegations retract their statements and issue a public apology, he would take legal action to clear his name.
“If Banik and his sponsors fail to retract these malicious and defamatory statements, I will have no choice but to seek legal redress. This is a deliberate smear campaign to divert attention from the real issue of financial mismanagement under the previous administration.”
Alimi also turned the spotlight on the past government, alleging that the Oyetola administration mismanaged over ₦1.5 billion in local government funds and diverted a $20 million World Bank health intervention grant meant for improving healthcare in the state.
He claimed financial records showed a pattern of money laundering, allegedly involving former ALGON officials and local government chairmen under Oyetola’s government.
“We uncovered clear evidence of financial irregularities under the past administration, including funds being funneled through various names and withdrawn in suspicious transactions,” Alimi alleged.
