The Osun State Government has formally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the immediate past governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, over alleged misappropriation of a $20 million World Bank health grant.
The petition, dated March 7, 2025, accuses Oyetola of financial misconduct, money laundering, and violations of the Public Procurement Act in the disbursement of the grant meant for health sector improvements.
According to the document obtained on Friday, Oyetola, as governor, chaired a special Health Intervention Committee that allocated the entire $20 million for renovating 320 primary health care centers across Osun State. However, the petition alleges that contracts were awarded without due process and that the renovations were substandard.
The government’s lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, wrote:
“In flagrant violation of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, Oyetola failed to call for bidding, eliminating competition that could have ensured the best-qualified contractors were selected. Instead, he awarded contracts to his cabinet members, agency heads, proxies, and cronies, many of whom had no construction experience.”
The government further alleged that businesses owned by food vendors, salon operators, supermarket owners, and web designers were among the contract beneficiaries. Companies named in the petition include Poshpreneurs Nig. (owned by the children of former Head of Service Olowogboyega Oyebade), Dotfam Multiventures Ltd (linked to the siblings of the former APC State Chairman), The Ice Firms Nig. Ltd (allegedly owned by former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Adebayo Adeleke), and Afamoks Web International (linked to ex-Amotekun Field Commander, Amitolu Shittu).
The petition claims these firms executed poor-quality renovations while receiving full payments, leading to the mismanagement of the $20 million grant.
The government also alleged that over ₦1.5 billion was funneled through the Osun chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) between January and October 2022. It named former ALGON Chairman Abiodun Idowu, Secretary Olubisi Oladosu, 28 former local government caretaker chairmen, and former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Yekeen Adebayo Adeleke, as key actors in the alleged scheme.
According to financial records cited in the petition, large sums were repeatedly transferred from ALGON’s Zenith Bank account (Account No: 1016607858) into the private account of Akeem Ibitoye, a local government employee and Director of Finance at Ejigbo Local Government. Cash withdrawals ranging from ₦30 million to over ₦10 million per day were reportedly made, with no records showing the funds were used for any official projects.
Reacting to the petition, Adebayo Adeleke dismissed the allegations as baseless, claiming they were politically motivated.
“I have not been invited by the EFCC, and I have not seen the petition to know what it is all about,” he said. “If there is no proof, then these allegations are frivolous. I have become a thorn in the flesh of Governor Adeleke and the PDP, so I won’t be surprised if baseless accusations are made against me. They think trying to smear my name will silence me.”
As of now, the EFCC has yet to respond publicly to the petition.
