Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has reactivated the Osun State Security Trust Fund, citing growing insecurity and public sector funding constraints as compelling justifications for reviving a public-private partnership security financing mechanism that his administration accused the immediate past government of abandoning at a critical moment for the state’s safety architecture.
Launching the fund in Osogbo, the governor announced a personal government contribution of N300 million to the trust fund, while billionaire philanthropist and governor’s brother Dr. Deji Adeleke donated N500 million, with several businesses making additional contributions of varying amounts.
Adeleke expressed dismay at what he described as the deliberate abandonment of the trust fund initiative by the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, arguing that the establishment of the fund had been long overdue given the security climate in Nigeria and Osun State specifically. He noted that several Nigerian states, including Lagos, Kaduna, and Rivers, had established functioning security trust funds that were delivering results, describing the failure to follow suit as an act of governmental irresponsibility.
“A security trust fund is a matter of necessity considering the security climate in Nigeria and Osun State. Only an irresponsible government will abandon the public-private partnership arrangement that is working so well in other states. Ours is a responsible leadership with people-oriented innovations, policies, and programmes,” Adeleke said.
He announced the imminent distribution of refurbished Armoured Personnel Carriers and new patrol vehicles to security agencies operating in the state, and outlined plans to establish a modern Situation Room equipped with real-time CCTV surveillance, describing these investments as part of a comprehensive approach to building durable security infrastructure.
The governor assured contributors and stakeholders of strict accountability, transparency, and adherence to due process in the management of all funds received, noting that the trust fund was regulated by law and subject to institutional oversight. He invited the private sector, financial institutions, development partners, professional bodies, and all stakeholders to join the initiative as partners in securing the state.
Secretary to the State Government and Deputy Chairman of the trust fund, Teslim Igbalaye, congratulated the governor for reactivating the fund, noting that its enabling law had been passed as far back as 2012 without ever being operationalised under previous administrations.
