The Osun State Government has rejected allegations of financial recklessness, insisting that public funds under Governor Ademola Adeleke are being carefully managed and transparently deployed for development projects across the state.

Governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, speaking on a current affairs programme on Westernspring Television in Osogbo, said critics were deliberately misrepresenting government accounts to mislead the public and score political points.

Rasheed stressed that all major expenditures pass through the state’s procurement processes, with projects subjected to competitive bidding and technical scrutiny. According to him, the administration operates on a strict “value for money” principle, ensuring that every contract delivers tangible benefits to residents.

He dismissed as “baseless” and “malicious” claims that the governor had spent ₦92 billion on feeding, describing the figure as a fabrication that betrays either mischief or a lack of understanding of public finance. Government spending, he explained, is spread across ministries, departments and agencies, and cannot be lumped into a single line item to create sensational narratives.

The spokesperson pointed to what he described as visible and verifiable projects across Osun, including road dualisation, new and rehabilitated bridges, school upgrades and health facilities. He maintained that these projects meet acceptable engineering standards and are comparable with infrastructure in better-resourced states.

Rasheed also defended the administration’s emphasis on “local content,” saying the government deliberately prioritises Osun-based engineers, contractors and professionals in order to retain wealth within the state and build local capacity. According to him, some of the loudest critics are uncomfortable with this policy because it reduces the influence of external contractors who previously dominated state projects.

He listed roads and bridges, healthcare, education, agriculture, water supply, staff welfare, pensions and empowerment schemes as key sectors currently benefiting from state funding. These investments, he argued, are designed to improve livelihoods, stimulate economic activity and address long-standing infrastructure deficits.

Rasheed further accused opposition elements of attempting to undermine governance through disputes over local government finances, alleging that such moves are politically motivated rather than driven by concern for grassroots development.

Despite what he described as orchestrated distractions, the spokesperson insisted that the Adeleke administration remains focused on delivering measurable results and will continue to open its books to lawful scrutiny to reassure citizens that Osun’s resources are not being wasted.