Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, yesterday, said his administration had not obtained any loan since its inception in 2022, rather, it has been reducing the inherited debts.
The governor, in a statement by his Spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said that contrary to reports that Adeleke’s government had been taking loans, the data released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) has vindicated him on the state’s debt profile.
He said that the state’s external debt, according to the DMO, has been reduced by 15 per cent while the domestic debt reduced by 42 per cent.
According to him, the domestic debt of Osun State was N148.37 billion as of December 2022 but has reduced to ₦86.06 billion in June 2024 while the foreign debt as of December 2022 was $91.78 million but reduced to $78.17 million in June 2024.”
“The truth remains that Osun State’s debt profile has reduced under the leadership of Governor Ademola Adeleke in the last two years. Data doesn’t lie and cannot be hidden.
“The domestic debt of Osun was ₦148.37 billion as of December 2022 but it has now reduced to ₦86.06 billion in June 2024. In the same manner, the foreign debt as of December 2022 was $91.78 million but it has now reduced to $78.17 million in June 2024.
“What that means is that the domestic debt of Osun State was reduced by 42 per cent and also the external debt was reduced by 15 per cent within two years of our administration.
“What this also means in terms of figures is that Governor Adeleke has paid back N62.31 billion as domestic debt and paid off $13.61 million in foreign debt. This is the burden the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led past administration imposed on the people of the state. If this administration hadn’t inherited those debts, these said amounts would have been better used for the good people of Osun State.
“The online medium failed to do due diligence and published APC’s fabricated fake news. The figures published by the DMO have now exposed the falsehood and fake news.
“The fact remains that Governor Adeleke has not taken any loan. There is transparency and accountability in this government. We are concerned about the welfare of the people and we will keep doing that,” he said.
