Less than two months to the change of baton in the governance of Ogun State, between the outgoing Governor Ibikunle Amosun and Governor-elect, Dapo Abiodun, the duo have engaged each other in a war of words over the alleged sales and auctions of the state properties; secret recruitments into the civil service and last minute award of contracts.
Recall that the emergence of Dapo Abiodun as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) prompted Governor Amosun’s preferred candidate, Adekunle Akinlade to float another party, Allied People’s Movement (APM) against APC with a view to winning governorship election which he lost to APC’s Abiodun on the 9th of March, 2019. Governor Amosun however, has stayed in APC where he won Senatorial election on February 23.
The loss of Akinlade for the governorship seat and victory of Dapo Abiodun as the democratically elected governor of Ogun State have further worsened the frosty relationship between the two hitherto good friends – Amosun and Abiodun- as the governor’s preferred candidate has filed a legal action at the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abeokuta against the governor-elect, Abiodun, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking against the perceived sales and auctions of government properties, last minute award of contracts and secret recruitments into the Civil Service, the governor-elect condemned the alleged actions by Amosun, warning that whoever engages in such transactions and financial engagements with the outgoing government would be doing so at his own peril.
The governor-elect, who spoke through Tunde Oladunjoye, publicity secretary of Ogun State APC Caretaker Committee, said: “It has come to our notice that the outgoing administration, His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, is busy with last minute award of contracts, selling and auctioning of government properties, and secret recruitments into the civil service, in a way to tie the hands of the incoming Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.
“While we find these reported last-minutes award of contracts, withdrawals from treasury, sales of land and illegal recruitment of Senator Amosun’s cronies into senior positions of the Ogun State Civil Service, very shocking, our party wishes to warn the members of the general public that such hurried transactions would not necessarily be binding on the incoming administration.
“We urge Ogun State’s top senior civil servants not to be part of the desperate moves of the departing governor to undermine socio-economic stability of our state, by engaging in, condoning or being part of any act that breaches or constitute a flagrant abuse of laid-down rules, regulations and due process.
“It is our belief that an administration with less than two months to handover, should, by now, be preparing its handover notes for a smooth transition, instead of digging pits for the incoming government. May we also reiterate here that all loans, overdraft and financial obligations that do not follow due process, including the approval of the Ogun State House of Assembly, would not be honoured. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.”
Responding on behalf of Governor Amosun, Rotimi Durojaiye, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, who spoke with BDSUNDAY, challenged Dapo Abiodun and APC to name the properties in question and the contracts being awarded as well as the secret recruitments mentioned in the press statement issued. He said the allegations remained fictitious and unfounded as such, Amosun’s government would never descend so low and begin to comment on the figment of imagination of some people.
RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta
