The Chairman of the Oyo State Pacesetter Transportation Service Company, Mr. Dare Adeleke on Friday confirmed he sold some vehicles belonging to the Oyo state government to spare parts dealers in Agodi Gate area of Ibadan, following a story published by SaharaReporters.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that 22 brand new vehicles purchased by the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi were sold off by Adeleke.
The new vehicles purchased by Ajimobi administration were less than eight years old when Adeleke sold them as scraps.
The story which was exclusive to SaharaReporters was published after some aggrieved staff members of the company petitioned the state governor, Seyi Makinde to complain about the fraudulent sale of government vehicles.
The workers in the petition alleged that Adeleke; General Manager of the company, Akinleye Akinwole and Director of Finance, Mrs. Ogunjobi have contracted some spare parts dealers at Gate Spare Parts Market to secretly move some reparable buses out of the premises of the company at Eleyele, Ibadan, usually on Sundays.
But reacting to the allegations, Mr. Adeleke said it is not a new thing for obsolete and unserviceable buses to be sold off, but due process must be followed.
He, however, blamed an opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it was trying to distract the administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state by crying wolf where there was none.
But in a swift reaction, one of the staff members of the company who spoke with our correspondent on phone said Adeleke’s statement was full of lies.
“The vehicles were repairable,” he said.
“Don’t mind the man. He was only telling lies. Those vehicles were repairable. There was one of the vehicles which had a problem with its fuel pump and we made effort to repair them (the vehicles) before Adeleke was appointed.
“Those vehicles were not that bad. It was only three of the vehicles that were not good enough. How can he claim that 22 vehicles were bad? Ajimobi administration might have had its own faults but it was not this bad.”
Adeleke in a statement he personally signed in Ibadan on Friday morning said he had increased the productivity of the company since his appointment.
Adeleke said, “It is not a new thing for obsolete and unserviceable buses to be sold but due process must be followed.
“However, we must remind our detractors that this Administration has increased both in value and income the fortunes of Pacesetter Transport Services.
“In spite of the challenges of spare parts of the Daewoo buses processed by the last administration which warranted the attempt to sell them off to Primero, a company owned by APC stalwart, the Makinde administration turned the fortunes of the company around by investing in spare parts to bring back over 30 grounded buses and continue to maintaining (sic) the 20 operational buses met on the ground.
“FGMC’s have increased their patronage of the company as corporate organisations like Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola has increased usage of PTS buses as staff buses and likewise, ROM Oil & Extreme Manufacturing Company using 8 of our buses. Also, Oriental and Global Manufacturing Company are using 3 buses.
“The increase in quality of our services has continued to attract religious and social cultural groups for chartered services of our buses on a regular basis.
“Despite the fact that PTS does not receive monthly subversions, the company pays her staff salaries on the 25th of every month, just as the state government (workers) usually receive their salaries. Likewise for the first time in 7 years, the staff of the company enjoyed promotion promptly.
“We therefore wish to inform political jobbers disguising as staff of PTS to join hands for developmental politics in Oyo State.”
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