We are  only renovating Government House -Ogun govt

By  Kolade Larewaju
ABEOKUTA – THE plethora of allegations of wrong doing against the outgoing Governor of Ogun State Otunba Olugbenga Daniel by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state continued Thursday  with the party accusing him of unrepentantly carting away appliances and amenities from both the Government House and his office in the wake of the May 29 handover date.

According to the party, the governor has ordered the removal of all the rugs and air conditioners inside the Government House, Oke Igbein, Abeokuta as well as generating sets from his office.

In a statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of the ACN in Ogun State, Mr. Sola Lawal, the party said that eight of the generating sets have been taken to a Church which has just been built by the Governor at the Government Reservation Area [GRA] Sagamu and scheduled to be dedicated on Sunday.

The ACN said just like the governor has been disposing of choice properties of the state for paltry sums, his has also sold off government owned buildings in the Ibara GRA of Abeokuta to his cronies for N5million.

It said the dilemma of the government was now how to eject the occupants of the houses who are not willing to vacate them few days to the end of Governor Daniel’s tenure.

The party said the present alarm and previous ones, including the one raised over the sale of the Ogun State Liaison office at Bar Beach, Victoria Island, Lagos were not politically motivated but borne out of the desire to not only to protect the properties of the state but also preserve legacies of past leaders.

The party said “Visionary leaders, including the late sage, Papa Obafemi Awolowo labored tirelessly to lift the state into an enviable stage, but the government of Otunba Gbenga Daniel has just within eight years robbed the state of its glory through arrogant and selfish use of power.

“No meaningful development was recorded all through his tenure which fortunately comes to an end in a few days time, and instead of bowing his head in shame as he is being disgraced out of office, Governor Daniel is still engaging in such atrocious activities.

“It is during his reign that respected and visionary indigenes of the state were assassinated thereby making others who could have contributed to the growth of the state to flee for their lives. The result is the battered and bruised state, annihilated people, a disorganized civil service as well as demoralized public servants.

“For eight years, we consistently warned the people of the state about the heinous character and style of Governor Daniel and his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but we were accused of partisanship. It is with regret that we now behold the end dreadful result of a man and his party that stole the people’s mandate”.

Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Adegbenro Adebanjo said that the allegation was not only spurious, malicious and idiotic.

Adegbenro said what was going on in the Government House was simple renovation for the new occupant and that it was being handled by the civil servants.

He explained that was normal for new things to be put in place for the new governor as it was done in 2003 adding any same man would refurbish a house before giving it out.

“It was done before and I am sure the new governor will do it when he is going. I can tell you that there is a brand new generator there now.

“It is spurious idiotic petty and malicious to say that. I am sure the person who said that did know what he is saying. No single item has been removed from that house.”