BY KOLADE LAREWAJU
ABEOKUTA- Immediate past Governor of Ogun State,  Olugbenga Daniel, Thursday, alleged that the Truth Commission inaugurated Wednesday by Governor Ibikunle Amosun was to witch-hunt him.

Daniel in a statement through his Media Assistant, Adegbenro Adebanjo, argued that the terms and reference of the Commission were criminal in nature and should be dealt with through normal judicial process.

He said: “Ordinarily a Truth Commission of the nature being proposed for Ogun State should be unfettered in its range of issues and era of concern with all participants allowed to table relevant issues of their choice. This informed the content of our statement welcoming the establishment of the Truth Commission by the administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun where we also expressed our readiness to participate in its proceedings.

“Then we counseled that all issues should be allowed for discussion without any restriction whatsoever. However, our counsel and concern have largely been ignored going by the content of the terms of reference for the commission just released by the Ogun State Governor which restricted its focus to issues that are wholly criminal in nature and which are within purview of the law enforcement agencies and the law courts.

“Incidentally, the Governor of a state is the Chief Security Officer of the state, who being the boss of the state Commissioner of Police, the state’s Director of State Security Service, SSS, and also the State’s Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, has the power, authority and resources to call for the case files, if any, of any criminal case and cause such to be prosecuted through the normal justice system as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The truth is that, issues of alleged murder and kidnapping that constitute the restrictive Terms of Reference of the newly inaugurated Commission are purely criminal matters over which the security agencies and law courts are statutorily empowered to handle and resolve.”

“As a result of this, it is obvious that the Commission was conceived and constituted to provide a platform for political theatrics and a forum to embarrass and harass perceived enemies and opponents.

“In this, it is quite clear that the immediate past Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, is the unmistakable target. It is also clear that certain individuals may have conceived the idea of the Commission to achieve other intentions apart from unearthing the truth. We however remain unperturbed by this obvious selective persecution as we have nothing to hide. We certainly will monitor the proceedings and take appropriate measures.”