| TIME of judgment is gradually ticking for Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD) and Otunba Adebayo Alao Akala, both former governors of Ogun and Oyo States over their stewardships in office. Ironically, both at different time allegedly traveled overseas mainly to avert the humiliation that may attend their eventual arrest by anti-graft agencies in Nigeria.
Sins of ‘OGD’…how he absconded
The greatest albatross of OGD is from Tunde Oladunjoye, a former Ijebu-East Local Government chairman and Deputy-governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State who chronicled by way of detailed petition to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) how Daniel allegedly laundered money running into N96billion from the revenue belonging to the 20 Local Government Chairmen in the state since November 2009.
Nigeria Standard gathered that the N49billion debt left behind by OGD for the new administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Governor of Ogun State, elected under the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has been generating unsavory comments and have attracted the attention of the anti-graft agency with fresh petitions sent to it on how bulk of the sum was allegedly ‘frittered-away’ by Daniel at the eleventh hour of his administration.
Information at the disposal of Nigeria Standard revealed that OGD scampered out of the country in the late hour of last week, without arousing curiosity by security operatives at the Presidential wing of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. He was accompanied to the airport by one of his media aides, who was recently arrested by the police in Ogun State for issuing sarcastic statement on the ‘Immortalization of Otunba Dipo Dina’ but later released.
CCB beams light on OGD assets
Nigeria Standard gathered that OGD may have to face a more trying time as sources in Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) revealed that there are some ‘grey’ areas in most of the assets declared by Daniel in his second term as governor of the state. His words: “During our assets verification, we discovered that most of the assets declared by OGD need some clarifications. And after our exhaustive investigation, we may subpoena him, when necessary to appear before us and explain himself.â€
Alao Akala’s dilemma & ICPC investigation
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The greatest challenge facing Akala is not unconnected to how he allegedly squandered the sum of N49billion when he was governor for 11 months, after Governor Rasheed Ladoja was ‘impeached’ by forces loyal to Akala. Since the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) stepped into this alleged financial misconduct matters, most public officers who served under Akala had gone into hiding when they heard that the embattled former governor had ‘ran abroad’ into safety, albeit temporarily.
Nigeria Standard gathered that after five petitions were received by ICPC on ‘fraudulent activities’ of Akala and his coterie of aides, the investigators stormed Ibadan, the state capital and arrested six Oyo state ex-commissioners, who were majorly used as ‘routes’ for Akala to launder money. They are: Alh. Majekodunmi Aborode (Environment/Water Resources), Adebayo Bankole (Finance), Raheem Musilim (Works & Transport), Nureni Adeniran (Education); Kunle Ishola (Agric and Natural Resources) and Dr. Kola Balogun (Commerce and Cooperative).
These ex-commissioners were grilled by operatives of the commission for several hours last week Tuesday and were asked to write their statements down. Further investigation by our correspondent revealed that details of the response of the commissioners to ICPC showed how Akala allegedly ‘milked’ the resources of the pacesetter-state under different guise. But Nigeria Standard gathered that ICPC may be compelled to order Akala to appear before them to ‘shed lights’ on petitions written against his administration which detailed how large sums of money was allegedly ‘looted.’ It is an unfolding drama, and we shall keep you updated.
OGD paid peanuts for Gateway Hotels, named OPIC after self & Ogun Assembly stand
Investigation by Nigeria Standard showed how OGD paid a paltry sum of N520m to acquire three state owned hotels, called ‘Gateway Hotels’ through his company without passing through due process. This was later confirmed by Hon. Job Akintan, representing Yewa North Constituency who moved the motion in the plenary of the state assembly for the reverse of the sale of Gateway Hotels, Ota, Ijebu Ode and Abeokuta bought by OGD and described as “ridiculous and paltry.†Hence, the Assembly, while ruling on the acquisition of the Hotels, accused Daniel’s administration of perpetrating illegality on sale of 29 public-owned schools which was reversed immediately since all the public schools were sold by OGD to missionaries at his own discretion.
Ogun/Oyo indigenes react- ‘Good radiance to bad rubbish’
In an exclusive interview with Titilayo Bolatife in Ogbomoso, hometown of Akala, she told Nigeria Standard that “Oyo State never had it this bad since its creation. Akala did not achieve anything in the state during his tenure; rather he wasted all the resources that accrued to the state for development of infrastructure.†Also, Iyiola Popoola, an undergraduate of University of Ibadan, (UI) lamented that “Akala’s tenure was the worst form of service to the people of the state because he was simply an Owambe governor.â€
Similarly, since charity begins at home, Nigeria Standard visited Sagamu, home town of OGD to get peoples’ first hand impression of his tenure, Yekini Lijadu, an angry Vulcanizer who plies his trade by a-make shift hut rained curses on OGD administration in fluttered English, when he said “Forget all the noise wey dem dey make say OGD na Ogidi Omo wey perform for people when im be governor. He no do anything; only perform for im pocket and few of the people wey dey work with am. The masses don too suffer under OGD. Na God go punish am for how im take suffer people of Ogun State.â€
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