The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) at the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) has appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to urgently intervene in the crisis rocking the Commission.
The union warned that the lingering internal conflict could cripple the operations of OSOPADEC if not promptly addressed, noting that workers’ January salaries are yet to be paid as a result of the crisis.
OSOPADEC has, in recent days, been embroiled in allegations and counter-allegations bordering on financial malfeasance, including claims of diversion of over ₦463 million in project funds into private accounts.
There are also allegations of a sudden change in signatories to the Commission’s bank accounts, which reportedly led to the disbursement of ₦90 million to unknown beneficiaries without the knowledge or approval of the Commission’s accounting officer.
Raising concern over the spread of the dispute on social media, Chairman of AUPCTRE, OSOPADEC branch, Comrade Sola Ademuwagun, said personal interests had overtaken the Commission’s statutory mandate of delivering development to oil-producing communities in the state.
Ademuwagun alleged that the political leadership of the Commission was attempting to subvert established administrative procedures, describing the situation as an assault on due process.
He stressed that the Administrative Secretary remains the head of the bureaucracy and should not be bypassed in official processes.
He appealed to the governor to intervene by clearly defining the roles of the four principal officers of the Commission—the chairman, two executive directors and the administrative secretary—and by approving a functional organogram to ensure smooth routing of files and effective administration.
The union chairman further alleged threats and intimidation against union leaders over unfounded claims that they were planning protests to remove the chairman, saying no such meeting ever took place.
He also accused unnamed officials of carrying out a restructuring exercise without due process, allegedly threatening staff to comply.
On his part, the Director of Project Planning and Development, Engr. Olubunmi Filani, one of the officers accused, denied any wrongdoing, describing the allegations against him and others as false.
Filani explained that funds lodged in his personal account were meant for direct labour projects, a practice he said had been in operation at OSOPADEC since the administration of former Governor Olusegun Agagu.
He maintained that all funds were utilised for approved and verifiable projects, including school renovations.
According to him, some funds were returned to the Commission when work could not commence due to challenges at project sites, adding that all necessary documentation and receipts were attached to relevant files in line with public service procedures.
Filani disclosed that OSOPADEC received approval to renovate 21 schools at the cost of ₦498 million, alongside the renovation of its Igbokoda area office at ₦49 million, which he said had been completed.
He stated that only ₦323 million had so far been utilised for the school projects, with the balance still intact in the Commission’s capital account.
However, a staff member who spoke on condition of anonymity claimed that the allegations circulating on social media were an attempt to divert attention from the controversial ₦90 million disbursement, which allegedly occurred after bank signatories were changed within 24 hours without the consent of the accounting officer and the Director of Administration.
The crisis has continued to generate tension within the Commission, as workers and stakeholders await government intervention to restore stability and ensure accountability.
