By Gbenga Olarinoye & Dapo Akinrefon

Osogbo—Former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, yesterday disclosed that the state is a brand that will outlast any government whether its performance is good or bad.

Aregbosola

Oyinlola stated this at Osun Stakeholders’ Conference organised by Osun Legislators’ Forum, an umbrella body of House of Representatives and Senators representing the state.

But members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stayed away from the conference, instead while it was in in progress, they also gathered somewhere meeting on how to reposition the party for future elections.

Meanwhile, some concerned citizens of the state, who had earlier organised a summit over the state’s financial problems, under the aegies of Osun Stakeholders, OS, yesterday petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola for alleged financial recklessness, corruption, money laundering and fraudulent application of the state’s resources.

Oyinlola, in his speech at yesterday’s pro-government parley, said the conference became necessary in view of the current financial crisis bedeviling the whole nation which Osun is part of.

According to him, Osun as a state has a perpetual succession irrespective of the performance of any government in power either before or now.

He stated that the summit is right on target with a view to forging a survival strategies within the context of national economic crisis.

The former governor therefore described the stakeholders’ forum which was the gathering of all indigenes home and abroad, as avenue to fashion ways out of the financial crisis facing some of the states in Nigeria.

Speaking earlier, Governor Aregbesola wondered how the nation got into this financial crisis.

According to him, the nation was already heading to the precipice but for the change of government that brought the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the centre.

Group petitions EFCC
The petition by the conveners of OS, Messrs, Niyi Owolade and Yinka Odumakin, to the EFCC, said; “We concerned citizens of Osun State having observed the profligacy, hypocrisy,corruption and financial decadence and recklessness of the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Governor of Osun State in the last five years hereby forward a petition detailing his atrocities for investigation by your Commission as mandated by the summit on the state of Osun state held on July 23rd, 2015.”