VIDEO: ‘You Must Publish Govt Accounts’ – Adelabu Charges Makinde on Transparency, Accountability

In a compelling moment from the trending one-minute and twenty-five-second 2023 gubernatorial debate video, Oloye Bayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power and a leading aspirant for the Oyo 2027 gubernatorial contest on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urged Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to take decisive action by publishing state public expenditure.

VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1D7PcTXC9j/

“Secondly, in my response to what our governor said, you’re an engineer; you have all the figures offhand. You can roll out the numbers for us, but I believe you should not be the only custodian of these figures. When we talk about figures, we talk about costs. We talk about expenditure from Oyo State resources. A lot of us here—and the entire people of Oyo State—deserve to know these figures,” Adelabu demanded.

Adelabu highlighted the alarming fact that “in four years, the government has not published a single account of government activities—the revenues and expenditure. We are entitled to these figures too. You have increased revenues. You have taken loans. Oyo State people demand probity, transparency, and accountability.” Adelabu’s passionate delivery was met with applause from the audience, reflecting the public’s desire for financial clarity.

The power minister continued, “We must publish the government accounts. It’s three months to the end of this administration, and yet we have not seen a single annual account from the government. It’s simply not fair enough.

Also, speaking in Yoruba to connect further with the audience, Adelabu emphasised, “We need to see expenditure—the amount spent on salaries, money spent on projects, and federal government allocations to Oyo State. So, if you say God sees you, let the people also see you—a clear demand for transparency and accountability. “Why didn’t we do that for a complete four years?” he queried.

Oloye Adelabu’s strong call for financial transparency resonates deeply with people as Oyo State approaches critical political decisions, emphasising the necessity for accountability in governance.

In a similar development, this newspaper also recalls that recently, Governor Makinde has faced public scrutiny following allegations made by the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, regarding the disbursement of a N50 billion naira relief fund. This fund was purposely provided by the federal government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to support victims of the January 2024 Ibadan explosion. Fayose claimed that Makinde concealed the receipt of these funds and diverted a significant portion, an allegation Makinde has denied.

In what people described as a defence mechanism, Makinde’s administration has struggled to clarify that only N30 billion was received, not N50 billion.

Fayose challenged Makinde to account for the funds, while the Oyo State chapter of an opposition party has called for a detailed breakdown of the acclaimed billion-of-naira intervention fund for public scrutiny. The controversy has intensified due to Makinde’s alleged ways of keeping the knowledge of public finances away from the people of Oyo State.