Alleges lopsidedness in bursary disbursement

A commissioner representing Ondo Central on the board of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Kehinde Akinrotoye, yesterday, alleged that he was attacked and beaten by thugs on the order of the Chairman of the Commission, Sam Erejuwa.

Akinrotoye, who is recuperating in an undisclosed hospital, was rescued by policemen from the Oba Ile Police Division. Popularly known as ‘Bonsue Aketi’, Akinrotoye was attacked during the yearly disbursement of bursaries and scholarship awards to students.

However, when contacted on the phone over the development, the Chairman of OSOPADEC, who appeared unmoved by Akinrotoye’s allegations, said: “If you do not have anything to do, just keep off the matter.”

After making the comment failing to address the allegation, Erejuwa abruptly cut the call.But Akinrotoye, who spoke with newsmen from his hospital bed in Akure, said he went to the venue of the bursary disbursement with students from Ondo Central and Ondo North senatorial districts. Akinrotoye said he was attacked because he protested against the lopsidedness of the bursary disbursement to only students from Ondo South.

He said all parts of the state benefitted from the revenue from cocoa in the Western Region and that residents from the riverine areas were not excluded.

Meanwhile, President of Ekimogun Youths Connect, Famakinwa Lucaskakaki, urged the Ondo State Police Command to arrest attackers of Akinrotoye.
He said: “When the only face of Ondo town in the OSOPADEC is beaten and it is alleged that he is not from the mandate area, it is an indication that our youths should also beat people from the so-called mandate area who work in Ondo town. We will not take laws into our hands.

“As an organisation, we will do a proper follow-up on this matter and see that the bad eggs are hooked on the neck by the government.”