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The Ondo State Government has hit back at the Peoples Democratic Party on the latter’s allegation over the registration of companies by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
The opposition party had alleged that Akeredolu registered 13 different companies for members of his family through which he allegedly awards contracts to siphon the state’s resources.
The party also alleged that the government wasted a sum of N500 million on a programme – the Sunshine Countdown Concert on December 31, 2021. The concert was allegedly anchored by Micheal Olatunde, Akeredolu’s son-in-law.
The Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Kennedy Peretei, stated this in a statement titled “Akeredolu’s misrule in Ondo State (10): family on a looting spree.”
The statement read, “Immediately Akeredolu was sworn in as Governor of Ondo State in 2017, he registered about 13 companies. These companies have been shamelessly used by the first family to receive contracts from state ministries and departments. Checks from the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, showed that all the companies have the same or related directors and secretaries. When contractors in the state hardly get paid for jobs, those awarded to the first family get prompt payment, and to rub salt on injury, they and some of their cronies brag about it.”
However, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Donald Ojogo, on Monday, in a statement said the allegation of the PDP was baseless because the opposition had no proof.
In the statement titled ‘Juvenile opposition, pedestrian talks expose your emptiness’, Ojogo asked the PDP to publish the details of companies linked to the governor’s family and report the matter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
He said, “Their assertions in respect of 13 companies they claimed were registered by the governor’s family in 2017 without evidence exposes the juvenile and pedestrian composure of the PDP. It is a sheer waste of precious media space to assert without evidence to prove. We challenge PDP to publish the names of the directors of those companies as well as the names of those companies.
“On the alleged expenditure of N500 million by the Ondo State Ministry of Information on the countdown show to herald 2022, it’s not just laughable but presents the PDP as most unserious. The inconsistency in their lies is legendary as their first release had indicated N200million in respect of the same subject. The public deserves to know more. Therefore, PDP must hurry to report this to the EFCC for investigation.
“While it is clear that the insidious naked dance of the PDP manifests the height of idleness and political depression, the party’s persistence in the display of uncanny posture on the path of unbelievable lies calls to question whether or not PDP respects the Ondo State public at all. No serious public takes such beer parlour talks seriously.”
