Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment in Osun State, Kolapo Alimi, has faulted the statement credited to a former governorship candidate, Goke Omigbodun, on the controversial Olaiya flyover in Osogbo.
Omigbodun had in a post on social media condemned the prioritisation of the construction of flyovers by government over the payment of a backlog of arrears of half salaries inherited from previous government.
However, in a swift reaction, Alimi contended that Omigbodun’s assertion on governance priorities and flyover bridges were lacking in facts and a mere parroting of opposition talks.
In a statement issued on Friday, the commissioner who affirmed the rights of citizens to criticise their government, cautioned against deliberate spreading of fake news, assumptions on false data and insinuation arising from half-truths.
He noted that”it is astonishing that, in an effort to discredit the construction of flyovers by the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke, the former governorship candidate published a statement which was full of factual errors amid false assumptions and disguised hatred for the current administration.
He said, “He was wrong to have asserted that federal allocation inflow into Osun is five-fold compared to the time of the previous government. This is a false statement not supported by frequently available data on allocations from the federation account that are available to the public. Aside from parroting opposition lies, the architect-turned-politician goofed.
“While there is an increase in allocation, it is not up to two folds not to talk of five folds. Additionally, the value of current allocations has largely depreciated due to the current inflationary and national rate crisis. We had thought the writer would read publicly available allocation tables to educate himself before putting that write up in place.”
