The Osun Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, has lampooned a Special Adviser to former governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Dr Bolaji Akintola, following his remark over the Osun State government.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Alimi said the health sector in Osun has witnessed significant improvement under Governor Ademola Adeleke, contrary to claims by critics, insisting that residents are already feeling relief from what it described as the “decrepit condition” inherited from the previous administration.
Alimi described the criticism of the Adeleke administration as unfounded and politically motivated.
Reacting to Akintola’s remarks, the commissioner expressed disappointment, saying the comments were detached from realities in the state’s health sector.
“I find it totally shocking and disheartening that Dr Bolaji Akinola could easily lose touch with reality on the ground while his boss, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, was at the helm of affairs as the Governor of our dear state,” Alimi said.
“It is only a mischief maker and an apologist of the APC-led opposition party in Osun that will make such a sweeping condemnation of Adeleke as saying that he has nothing meaningful to showcase in the health sector.”
He maintained that while the present administration acknowledges there is room for improvement, the sector is far better than what it inherited.
“Though the present administration is of the view that there are still rooms for improvement, things are, however, far better in the health sector under Adeleke than the previous condition with which the immediate past administration left the sector,” he added.
Alimi alleged that the Oyetola administration failed to meet public expectations in the health sector and other areas of governance.
“I must put it to Dr Akintola and others in his shoes that by now things would have been far greater throughout Osun State had the past administration lived up to the expectations of the people in the health sector and other sectors which were left in a decrepit condition,” he said.
He further claimed that funds meant for the health sector during Oyetola’s tenure were mismanaged.
“It is on record that the administration of the current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy inherited a whopping sum of $20m for the health sector, which got mismanaged. Today, such money is in the range of about ₦30bn yet to be accounted for,” Alimi stated.
According to him, petitions over the alleged mismanagement had been forwarded to anti-graft agencies.
“If Akintola did not know, his recent condemnation of Adeleke’s health sector performance is a quick reminder to let him know that a petition to that effect is currently pending before EFCC and ICPC for Oyetola and others over alleged mismanagement of funds meant forthe Osun health sector,” he added.
The commissioner said the Adeleke administration had taken steps to revive the sector by rehabilitating primary health care centres across the state.
“To right the many wrongs of Oyetola in the health sector, Ademola Adeleke took the bull by the horns to rehabilitate over 200 primary health care centres out of the 332 in the entire state,” he said.
He added that the project would have progressed further but for political disagreements affecting local government funds.
Osun Tops National PHC Challenge
Alimi also highlighted the state’s performance in national health programmes as proof of progress.
“To lend credence to this, Osun in 2024 made history when it came first in a primary health care challenge over five other states in the South-West zone. As a reward, Osun got ₦500,000 and repeated the same feat in 2025,” he said.
He noted that the achievement came despite limited access to local government funds meant for primary healthcare.
“The question to ask Mr Oyetola’s aide… is: if Osun State without the availability of local government funds came first in the South-West, what would Oyetola say to other states that came behind Osun, including Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti and Ondo?” he queried.
The commissioner urged Akintola and other critics to refrain from what he described as political bitterness and misinformation.
“Dr Akintola should advise his boss, Mr Oyetola, to stop misinforming the people, especially when the reality of impending investigations by anti-graft agencies over the alleged mismanagement of the $20m health fund beckons,” Alimi said.
He reiterated that the Adeleke administration remained committed to strengthening healthcare delivery across the state despite financial and political challenges.
“I make bold to say that kudos must be given to the Adeleke-led administration, which, despite the withheld LG funds being masterminded by APC, is still commendably managing the little resources of the state, which today has recorded an efficient and effective PHC.
“Lest I forget, the likes of Dr Akinola should also be told and informed that the PHC challenge is usually a nationwide programme being organised by the Nigeria Governors Forum ( NGF), the Federal Ministry of Health and Bill-Gate Foundations, among other highly respected national and international bodies. It is not an Osun state-based competition, which, out of the usual political mischief and misinformation, Osun APC could have misdirected the thinking and orientation of innocent Osun citizens, that it was done to favour the administration of Ademola Adeleke, who has won the PHC challenges, back-to-back (in 2024 and 2025)
“Conversely, under the former Oyetola-led administration, Osun never got mentioned or even listed for second or third position in the PHC challenge. What a shameful performance!
“Please keep mute and appreciate good governance as currently being carried out by the Imole Osun led administration of His Excellency, Senator ( Dr) Ademola Adeleke,” concluded the Commissioner,” the statement added.