Senator Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State on Wednesday shocked citizens and residents of the state when he said former Governor of the state, Gbenga Daniel, is not an indigene of the State.
Premium Times Reports......Mr. Amosun made the shocking claim during his working tour of Odeda local government area where he also indicted himself as being one those who assisted Mr. Daniel to falsify records and claim indigeneship of Sagamu at the time he wanted to contest the governorship seat of Ogun state in 2003.
“They came to us then, we were the ones they ran to and we helped them to get where they are claiming today as their home,” Mr. Amosun said.
The governor was reacting to corruption allegations levelled against his administration by Mr. Daniel.
Mr. Daniel had accused the governor of selling off all the farmlands in the area to other states.
“When I came into power in 2003, the first place we visited was Odeda and we recognised that agriculture is the main stream here, we therefore established 13 farm settlements. Today, we are sorry that this present government has started selling our farmlands to other neighbouring States,” Mr. Daniel had said.
“He is busy constructing roads and bridges and Alabata road which we did when we came in 2003. When I was coming today, I tried to check the road, the road was very bad. I want to ask you people of Odeda, what has Amosun done for you here, he has been constructing bridges all over and nothing was done here for you, he neglected you,” Mr. Daniel had said.
In what seemed like taking his pound of flesh, Mr. Amosun on Wednesday described Mr. Daniel as “prodigal son” who sold off all the state’s properties under fake concession agreement.
He specifically mentioned Apoje farm settlement alleging that his predecessor sold it to a former Commissioner in Lagos State, Ademola Adeniji- Adele, at a ridiculous prize.
“When they came into power, the farmlands were over 60, when we came in, it remained only five. They are rogues, thieves and bastards, God will punish them all. Our forefathers will never forgive them and the generations coming will also curse them. They think we are like them, we are not, we are not a bastard from Isoko”.
“He (Gbenga Daniel) is envious of our achievements and successes recorded within the past few years. We need to let them know that we are not thieves like them and I make bold to say that OGD and his people are thieves. They will not be able to stand and campaign for vote here in Odeda by the time I start exposing them. They are treasury looters. If not for the type of the country we are, they ought to have covered their heads in shame rather than boasting around the town,” Mr. Amosun declared.
Mr. Amosun said contrary to claims by the former governor that he left $10 billion in the state’s coffers, only $1 million was left.
“They said they sold Ikenne plantation farm to a foreign company at the rate of 10 billion dollars. When we came in, we saw that they lied there and they later came out to say it was just 10 million dollars. We are bonafide sons of the soil and will never do things that will destroy the future of our children,” Mr. Amosun said.
“They are not happy because all the properties they stole, we have retrieved them back. The hotel, farms, money and others have been collected back. They said we don’t do anything here, when we came in, we planned to commence work on this road, but we were stopped because the Federal government had commenced work on it. Here it is now, nothing is being done here” he said.
Reacting to Mr. Amosun’s allegations, Mr. Daniel said in a statement that the governor’s claim was an insult to Sagamu and an abuse of the traditional institutions in the land especially the thrones of the Akarigbo and Arole of Remoland as well as the Ewusi of Makun in Remo Kingdom.
“Precisely on Saturday 23 February, 2002, Otunba Gbenga Daniel was made the Aare Asoludero of Makun Sagamu with traditional rites performed by the Late Ewusi, HRH Oba Efuwape Ogunsowo, Inanuwa II. To all intents and purposes, Oba Ogunsowo declared that Otunba Daniel was a freeborn of Makun in Sagamu and of the Ojelobaye family origin,” Mr.
Daniel in a statement by his Media officer, Ayo Giwa, stated.
Mr. Daniel said the governor’s allegations that he sold the “all the State’s patrimony is in itself cheap blackmail. Is concession not different from outright sale? What has happened to the companies since he came to power some three and a half years ago and why did he not attempt to revive them if they are viable? The outburst from the incumbent is belated and immature. He should address issues and not personalities,” Mr. Daniel said.
The former governor said Mr. Amosun is clueless and that Ogun people want answers to why there is no “economic development in the state”.
“He should stop pulling wool over the eyes of the people. Until he answers that all others are diversionary. As the governor of Ogun State why did he not institute a probe to look into the concessions? He has all the machinery of government at hand so what is he waiting for?’
“It is now glaring that the clock is fast ticking towards electoral defeat hence his attempt to stand history on its head by reverting to the same scenario that played itself out some twelve years ago,” Mr. Daniel said.
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