Governor Adeleke Defends Travel Expenses, Says He Uses Family Jet to Cut Costs

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has explained that he often uses his family’s private jet for official travels in a bid to reduce the state’s travel-related expenses.

This clarification comes in response to a recent media report alleging that the state spent N3.1 billion on domestic and international trips within six months—an amount said to exceed allocations to several ministries.

In a statement released on Monday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke described the figure as misleading. He clarified that the quoted sum was not just for the governor’s travels but represented the full-year training budget for over 100 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the Osun State Government for the entire 2025 fiscal year.

According to the statement, the actual cost attributed to the governor’s travels is minimal because most of his trips, including a recent visit to the United States, were undertaken using a family-owned jet. The statement also noted that several MDAs conducted their training activities in the first half of the year in anticipation of political engagements expected later in 2025.

Describing the report as a politically motivated distortion by the opposition, Rasheed said, “This publication is a failed attempt to mischaracterize essential spending on training programs, overhead costs, and public service capacity building across more than 100 agencies. The fact that the figures were transparently posted on the state’s website demonstrates the administration’s commitment to accountability.”

He added that Governor Adeleke’s role as the head of government means that many of the listed travel and training expenses reflect the activities of sectoral heads and career civil servants, not just the governor.

Highlighting key international engagements, the spokesperson mentioned the Commonwealth Business Investment Conference, where the governor signed an MoU with ESG Management Services UK Ltd. to attract investments in agriculture, manufacturing, solid minerals, and other sectors.

Regarding concerns about fumigation expenses, the statement explained that the spending covered cleanliness and environmental maintenance at the state secretariat, government offices, schools, hospitals, and other public institutions.

Reassuring the public of the governor’s transparency, Rasheed emphasized that all expenditure figures were voluntarily disclosed on the state website, adding, “There is no foul play. Anyone seeking further details can apply through the Freedom of Information Act.”