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Osun state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday urged Governor Rauf Aregbesola to come clean on the issue of helicopter he claimed his administration bought for surveillance in the state.
In 2012, Governor Aregbesola, while unveiling then newly bought Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, said a helicopter had been hired for aerial surveillance of the state to nip criminal activities in the board.
But the PDP in a statement issued in Osogbo on Friday by Prince Diran Odeyemi, its director of media and strategy, recalled that APC chairman in the state, Prince Gboyega Famoodun had early this year, told journalists that the said helicopter was bought and given to OAS helicopter to rent out and generate funds for the state.
The statement reads: “OAS helicopter company claimed on their website that Osun State lease AS355 brand from them. Contrarily, Osun state government told us it leased the helicopter out to OAS as a revenue drive when the lie that it was bought for surveillance did not fly.
“Who are we to believe? What exactly is the truth and where is the N500million the government claimed was the cost of purchasing the machine? A lie will need another million lies to cover up the deceit.
“Can Osun state government please tell us the truth.
Who owns this helicopter and who is the actual lessor?
“How much of Osun state money has gone into the purchase and maintenance of the machine and if it was leased from OAS, how much has been committed into its usage?
“Again, if it was indeed leased to OAS how much has been generated through the lease and where are the evidences?”
The party said it was important for the present administration to clear air on the issue of the helicopter because of heavy credibility burden the issue had placed on the present administration and the moral burden the issue has laden the administration of Aregbesola government with.
