Encomium
The All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ogun has advised former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD) to channel his energies towards extricating himself from the web of stealing proffered against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
This, according to the party in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Sola Lawal, is the noble course to take by the former governor, instead of distracting the incumbent governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun from the task of rebuilding all that he dismantled in the state.
Daniel had vowed to unseat the Ibikunke Amosun’s administration for rubbishing his legacies but the APC said, “It is regrettable that pariahs, who ought to be behind bars for sundry unmitigated crimes against the people, were pontificating on the way forward for the same hapless people.
“Whereas the Amosun administration has been adjudged the best in recent times in the annals of governance in the state, forces of retrogression could still hold firmly the levers of obstinate denials.
“The infrastructure, health , education, agriculture and other transformations witnessed in Ogun state since assumption of office of the Amosun government and widespread endorsement of these programmes by the people speak volume of the eagerness of Ogun people to cut a final break from a past of mesmerising oppression by elected people.”
The party stated further, “The eight locust years of the Daniel administration left a legacy of executive pilfering, brigandage, huge proliferation of arms among youths, widespread dejection among the people and general air of hopelessness.
“Despite the verifiable heavy investment by the Amosun administration in life – changing infrastructural rebirth, the government has only incurred a debt of N37.9 billion as at March 2014, a feat that stands in sharp contrast to over N90 billion debt profile left by the Daniel marauders in their wake and out of which the former governor is being tried by EFCC for looting N44 billion.”
Reacting to this, Daniel’s media aide, Mr. Steve Oliyide said, “They said they’re not rubbishing Gbenga Daniel’s legacies, have they forgotten that it was during the administration of Gbenga Daniel that Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) was established?
Now, Govenror Amosun is trying to scrap it. Also, has Amosun forgotten that the Obasanjo Hill Top Estate was founded by OGD and built from the scratch? Why is it that all Amosun is trying to do is to obliterate the view of the estate from the main road with whatever he is also constructing at the other side?
“Now, what’s the volume of the traffic on the Abeokuta/Shagamu Road which OGD constructed that he now said he will make it 10 lanes? It’s not even a failed road. So, what’s he expanding?
“Then, on the EFCC case, the question is: At whose instance? Are they referring to the persecution? The person who wrote the first petition to the EFCC, Tunde Olagunjoye, has been compensated with board appointment at TASUED.
“Now, what are the issues they’re raising? Does Amosun himself have the moral justification to say OGD should go and face his EFCC case? It’s just an instance of write the petition and get an appointment. So, Otunba Gbenga Daniel didn’t steal any money. It’s even difficult to steal in the kind of government we’re running.”
– TADE ASIFAT
