Mayowa Olumuyiwa
Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu says the Policemen led by the state Police Commissioner, who purportedly prevented the passage of the deputy Governor out of the government house on Saturday, didn’t act on his order.
The Governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Segun Ajiboye, on Sunday said the story, which claimed that the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, restrained the Deputy Governor from leaving the Government House on his directive was a concocted and devious lie meant to discredit him.
According to the issued statement, “It should, however, be placed on records that it is a time-tested code in government’s business for officials to take inventory of offices and quarters before and after an official is moving in or out of offices or quarters.”
He further stressed, “Accordingly, the CP’s intervention which was at the instance of an almost manipulated security apparatus at the Government House was most desirable to restore law and order.
“It becomes particularly worrisome and suspicious when aides of the Deputy Governor insisted on leaving the premises with items wrapped in unclear ownership as late as 11pm.”
Akeredolu in closing, however, reiterated his commitment to the rights of all, including the Deputy Governor, noting, “He has a duty to be firm and dispassionate in exercising the roles assigned to him.”
One of the observers who spoke with our correspondent however described the scenario as one which had generated much controversy within the Ondo State political class as an unfortunate event which haven’t been witnessed since the advent of democratic governance within the state.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kazeeem, an Ondo resident who is an insider in the Ondo APC politics, opines that the scuffle between the Governor and his Deputy had lingered on for a long while until now.
He added that the last may not have been heard on the incidence as there are confirmed reports that the Ondo Secretary to the state Government (SSG), Hon. Abegunde Abena, may be following the steps of Agboola who is obviously ready to deflect from the APC to join the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday.
It would be recalled that many political observers within the state had foreseen the eventual break away between Akeredolu and the two most prominent appointees in his government due to an alleged ill-treatment of the duo by their boss.
Kaftan Post however reliably gathered that the Governor is also battle-ready for the worst that may result from the departures, even though most players are of strong opinion that the Akeredolu-led administration may be facing its most difficult moment as the state gets ready for the October gubernatorial polls.
Read the full press statement below:
PRESS STATEMENT
The attention of the State Government has been drawn to a video clip trending on the social media. We consider it expedient to correct the mendacious twist mischievously spun to confuse the good people of Ondo State. At no time did any security operative prevent the Deputy Governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi, from leaving the Government House as conveyed in the edited video. It was he who beckoned to one of his aides to do the recording. I was there.
The Chief Security Officer to the Governor of Ondo State had called my attention to some strange human and vehicular movements around the Guest Chalet occupied by the Deputy Governor at around 9:45pm, almost 3 hours after the commencement of the curfew in the State, on the 20th June, 2020. The Governor’s Special Task Force was about leaving the Government House for enforcement. I instructed the Officer-in-Charge of the place to ensure that nobody was allowed to leave the premises unchecked. The Deputy Governor was NOT anywhere in the premises at the time.
A convoy of about four vehicles approached the main gates to leave shortly afterwards. The security men present stopped them for identification purposes. Some of the security operatives attached to the Office of the Deputy Governor had earlier driven off in their personal cars. The civil servants working in that office had raised an alarm at the untoward occurrences in the official quarters of the Deputy Governor. They had challenged those bent on moving items out of the premises to wait till the morning as there was no prior notice. They had already moved out some furniture, DSTV Decoders, TV sets, among others. It was at this point that I saw some vehicles bearing Ondo State official number plates attempting to go out in utter defiance to the directive of the security operatives present.
None of these persons was an official of the Government. A policeman, apparently new in the State, came to meet the CSO where I was standing. He introduced himself and informed him that a woman, said to be the Deputy Governor’s guest, was in one of the vehicles. All the drivers were unknown by the security operatives on ground. I insisted that only personal vehicles must be allowed to leave after a thorough search. I directed that all the vehicles which belong to the Government must remain in the premises, especially the van which had been used to pack some items. All the vehicles moved back to the Deputy Governor’s Guest Chalet where he is staying.
The Deputy Governor had arrived from outside the premises. He was the one who called the CP to meet him at the Government House. The SSA on Security was unavoidably absent. I took charge in his stead. The CP, two DCs, Admin., and CID., and the AC, ops met me in the Government House. The Deputy Governor alighted from his SUV and moved into the Government vehicle in contention, a Pilot van. He said he must go with the vehicle as he bought it with his money. The Government number had been removed.
The DGov called the CP and insisted that he would move out with all the vehicles. He had been joined by others from outside. He was not prevented from going out. The CP attempted to explain to him that it was not tidy for anyone to pack personal effects at that time of the night, especially when no one was notified prior to the time. He quickly reminded the DGov that he just received his letter seeking protection for his imminent defection on Monday and that he had to rush down to ensure that there was peace. It was at that point that the DGov, apparently embarrassed by the revelation, shouted at him.
The DGov drove out of the Government House at some minutes to 12am leaving with other vehicles. The pilot van, which bore the Ondo State official number and some items, was not allowed to leave the premises. Nobody prevented him from leaving. Some persons wanted to use him to cart away Government property at a period when there should be no movement in the State. he seemed to have no problem assisting them.
DR DOYIN ODEBOWALE
SSA, SPECIAL DUTIES & STRATEGY
ONDO STATE GOVERNMENT
