Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has refuted claims of excessive spending on travel, clarifying that he often utilises his family’s private jet to reduce costs for the state.
This statement comes in response to a recent online publication that alleged the state government spent N3.1 billion on domestic and international travel within six months, an amount higher than the allocation for other ministries.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke clarified that the figure cited by the online medium was the total training allocation for over 100 government ministries, departments, and agencies for the entire 2025 fiscal year.
He explained that his personal travel expenses were minimal because he frequently uses his family’s private jet, including for a recent trip to the United States.
Rasheed also addressed the timing of the expenditures, noting that many agencies had conducted their local and international training in the first half of the year in anticipation of the start of pre-2026 political activities later in the year.
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He described the reports as “misleading” and “mischievous,” characterising them as a politically motivated attempt to misrepresent necessary government spending.
The spokesperson further emphasised that the N3.1 billion figure was a total government expenditure and not solely attributable to the governor.
He highlighted the importance of these travels and training programs, pointing to a key international event, the Commonwealth Business Investment Conference, where the governor led a delegation to meet with potential partners and sign a Memorandum of Understanding with a UK investment firm to attract foreign investment.
The statement also clarified that another figure cited by the publication, related to fumigation, covered the cost of maintaining a clean environment across all state institutions, including the secretariat, government house, health facilities, and schools.
Rasheed reaffirmed the governor’s commitment to transparency and accountability, pointing out that the state government itself published the figures that have been widely reported.
He urged those seeking a more detailed breakdown of the state’s expenditures to make a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act.
