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Go to court, Ajayi tells Akeredolu’s son

By Oluwaseun Akingboye, Akure
29 September 2020   |   3:23 am
Ondo State Deputy Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, has challenged Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s son, Babajide, to make good his threat to sue him over his alleged involvement in the N4.3b state fund scam. In a statement by the Media Adviser to the Deputy Governor, Mr. Allen Sowore, he also accused the Akeredolu-led government of embezzling public…

Ondo State Deputy Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, has challenged Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s son, Babajide, to make good his threat to sue him over his alleged involvement in the N4.3b state fund scam.

In a statement by the Media Adviser to the Deputy Governor, Mr. Allen Sowore, he also accused the Akeredolu-led government of embezzling public funds. 

“The office of the Deputy Governor hereby challenges Babajide Akeredolu to immediately carry out his threat. It is in the interest of Ondo State that the threat becomes a reality,” the statement read in parts. 

Ajayi argued that the litigation “will provide everyone an ample opportunity to resolve once and for all, the whereabouts of the recovered but now missing N4.3 billion Ondo State money.”

While flagging off his governorship campaign in Ore on Saturday, Ajayi had publicly declared that the governor’s son received the sum of N430m as a consultancy fee from the N4.3b funds allegedly discovered in a secret account. 

Following the allegation, the governor’s son, Babajide had directed his lawyer to sue the state deputy governor defamation. 

Babajide lamented that the allegation soiled his reputation and spread like wildfire despite being refuted by the state government. 

He stressed that the deputy governor would need to prove it with evidence at a court of law how he was paid the sum.

“I find it imperative to state unambiguously that I do not hold any political office. It is evil and most wicked to make such an allegation that exists mainly in the minds of Hon. Agboola and his ilk against me.

“I have instructed my lawyers to file legal action against him to claim full damages for the harm the false and malicious statement he made has done to my reputation,” he said, maintaining that Ajayi must prove the allegation in court.

But Ajayi, who is the candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in the forthcoming governorship election, added that “the whereabouts of the 40 per cent of the 13 per cent oil derivation accruing to the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) since 2017 would have to be accounted for.

“In the same vein, the account of the money raised for COVID-19 fund should also be made available for auditing,” he added.

The deputy governor also demanded the forensic audit of the Ondo State Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), REMITTA payment system and the unveiling of the consultants collecting the 10 per cent of generated revenues; a percentage, which he said is just too high for the services being rendered.

The statement read further: “The deputy governor stands by his statement that the payment of N430 million as 10 per cent of the recovered N4.3 billion as consultancy fees to the firm of Babajide, the Governor’s son for doing nothing is unjustifiable.

“We, therefore, urge Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), to allow the State House of Assembly to complete the probe of the N4.3 billion kept for 10 years in a Zenith Bank account. 

“Also, the government officials responsible for this mendacity should be revealed and punished accordingly.”

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