By John Dike, Osogbo
Spokesperson to Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, Mallam Olawale Rasheed has reaffirmed the administration’s firm dedication to transparency and accountability in managing public funds.
He highlighted the state government’s ongoing practice of publicly sharing detailed budgetary performance reports as proof that the administration has nothing to conceal regarding its financial activities.
Rasheed criticized opposition activists for what he called a lack of diligence in engaging with the publicly available budget documents. He stressed that a government that openly discloses its revenue and expenditure demonstrates honesty, openness, and responsibility toward its citizens.
On security-related expenditures, Rasheed explained that Adeleke’s assertion that security spending follows due process is backed by fully categorized and published budget reports. This guarantees that all such expenses are compliant with state finance laws.
Clarifying further, Rasheed noted that Osun State does not operate “security votes” in the traditional sense—there are no unaccounted funds outside official processes. All security spending is documented, approved through statutory channels, and aligned with government payment procedures.
He added that security expenditures vary according to inflation, operational needs, exchange rates, communal conflict levels, and changes in security agencies such as Amotekun. Regardless, the government ensures spending transparency by publishing all relevant data.
Also, he encouraged citizens and opposition members seeking detailed expenditure information to access the data through the Freedom of Information Act.
He condemned the misuse of publicly available reports to spread misinformation, emphasizing that a government intent on hiding details would not publish such information or participate in initiatives like the World Bank’s Open Budget Initiative.
However, he reaffirmed that under Adeleke’s leadership, Osun State manages security spending within the full scope of state finance laws, setting a standard for transparency and good governance.
