The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has called on President Bola Tinubu to sack the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, citing a poor performance rating by development and humanitarian specialist, Dr. Hussaini Abdu.
However, the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Osun State defended Oyetola, saying he has made significant contributions to the nation’s economy.
Sunday Bisi, the Osun PDP chairman, claimed on Saturday that Oyetola is a “wasted nominee” who has allegedly failed to make the top ten best ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet.
Bisi, in a statement on Saturday, argued that Oyetola’s alleged consistent poor performance has drawn public ire against Tinubu’s administration.
The Osun PDP chairman the verdict by Abdu has vindicated Osun’s electorate, who rejected Oyetola in the last gubernatorial election.
“The poor ratings of Mr Oyetola as a Minister from Nigerians comes at no surprise to us as a party and Osun people in general. During his tenure as Osun Governor, he displayed his lack of leadership acumen much to the disdain of Osun people. His penchant for shying away from responsibility is legendary,” he said.
The PDP chairman further alleged that Oyetola’s appointment was more about his personal relationship with President Tinubu than his credentials as a public officer.
He urged the president to remove Oyetola from the federal cabinet, claiming the rating justifies the state’s decision to vote him out during the last Osun governorship poll.
But coming to Oyetola’s defence, Tajudeen Lawal, the Osun APC chairman, condemned the call for Oyetola’s sacking.
He asserted that Oyetola is a resourceful manager whose ministry significantly contributes to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Lawal cited Oyetola’s recent ministerial briefing, where he disclosed that his ministry generated N242.8bn in the first quarter of this year through proper coordination of its parastatals.
He said the call for the sacking of Oyetola by PDP is baseless and lacks justification.
Lawal explained that “if not that the Osun State PDP chairman is limited in knowledge and understanding, himself and his co-travellers would have known that an individual’s opinion on a television programme could not be a sufficient barometer to appraise a public officer like Oyetola who, despite the newness of his ministry, has been forging ahead to the admiration of the right-thinking members of the society and not those who are thinking through their legs.”
He added, “If the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, who masterminded the finalisation of the Funtua Inland Dry Port which was commissioned on May 9th, 2024, should be sacked as cruelly and stupidly being canvassed by Sunday Bisi, what should then happen to a governor who could not account for N300 billion Federal Government funds in his care for the people of the state since the inauguration of the inglorious administration of the ruling government in the state?
“If Alhaji Oyetola who commissioned a 4.8 km of road at Onne Port and Mooring Boats should be relieved of his appointment as it is the wish of Sunday Bisi and his cohorts, what then should be done to a state governor who is finding it pretty difficult to either read or recite the newly-adopted National Anthem?
“If Sunday Bisi and his co-travellers are knowledgeable enough about the running of the Federal Government, it would not be difficult for them to know that the rehabilitation of some access roads in Tin Can and Apapa ports were effected under Oyetola.”
“Our brothers and sisters in the apparently confused PDP should learn that Oyetola as the hardworking Minister of Marine and Blue Economy has injected and restored sanity to Tin Can Island Port corridor as the perennial traffic gridlock on the Mile 2 and Tin Can in Lagos has since given way, thus putting an end to the multi-billion-naira yearly loss to Lagos Ports’ traffic gridlock, which defied all solutions for close to one decade.”
Tinubu Asked To Sack Marine, Blue Economy Minister Oyetola For ‘Non-Performance’ is first published on The Whistler Newspaper