Akala must be probed, says Alaafin

Posted by admin Governors, Headlines, Oyo, State News Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

ALAAFIN of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi,Wednesday, said that the out-going Governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, should be probed immediately the new government takes over on May 29.

Oba Adeyemi urged the incoming Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, to investigate particularly how government residential areas across the state were sold and the whereabouts of the money made from the sales.

The monarch who made the call during a thank you visit by leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, led by the state party chairman, Chief Akin Oke, and the immediate past chairman, Chief Samuel Farinu, at his palace, said he was angry with the way the legacy of yoruba’s forefathers were sold out by the out-going governor to some of his cronies.

He said: “All the government quarters in the Government Reservation Areas, GRA, Ibadan, the housing estates, District Officers’ residences in the state were all sold at the cost of between N10 and N50 million.”

The ACN is on a thank you tour of the 33 local government councils of the state.

Alaafin expressed annoyance over the sale of the quarters allegedly to the highest bidders, stressing that the residential areas which were bequeathed to the Yoruba race by the founding fathers were sold out at the detriment of the masses.

Due to circumstances surrounding the sales of the quarters, Oba Adeyemi said there was need for the incoming administration to beam a searchlight into the transaction to determine “who bought the houses with government money and also the details of how they got such outrageous monies to purchase the government buildings which should remain our legacies. There is need to ask questions and embark on the review of the sales for posterity sake.”

With such outrageous prices, the monarch wondered if those who bought the houses were not those in government who could garner enough financial muscle to afford them. Wondering how many people could afford such money if not those in the government, Adeyemi bemoanedhow the traditional institution tried in vain to make the out-going administration see reason when the crisis between the workers and government grounded the state to a halt.

He said: “They did not need the advice of the elders, who are their fathers. I don’t know anywhere in the world where the advice of elders are not sought or ignored on issues bothering on administration and the lives of the people.

“In the USA, there are three basic governments: the visible government, the invisible government and the business conglomerates. They all determine how the country is run. Where then in the world is the advice of the elders ignored?”

He advised the ACN not to toe the path of the outgoing governor by heeding the advice from people, adding: “Do not let your government be obdurate to abandon the followers. Give the necessary support to the governor-elect lest the administration be thrown into troubles. As elders, we shall sit back and watch the way you are going to handle the tasks before you.”

He urged the party to replicate the achievements of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State.
In his response, the party chairman expressed gratitude to the monarch for the immeasurable assistance he rendered to secure victory for the party. He said: “Alaafin really assisted us in winning the last elections. We have been wiser to know that no one disrespects elders, particularly the monarchs, and get the support of the people in such domains.

Your roles were not appreciated in the past, but we assure that your royal advice laced with wisdom will always be sought lest we also go astray.”

MEANTIME, Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala has said posterity would judge him and those that served during his four-year tenure. He said this as he called the bluff of those who were clamouring for the incoming administration to probe his activities while he steered the ship of the state.

Akala said during the visit of members of the NUJ in the state that since he had no skeleton in his cupboard, he would not lose any sleep over the call for probe.

Irrespective of the avalanche of criticisms from all quarters, he said he was as bold as a lion to face the anti-graft agency if there was need to do so.

Akala said: “I am not afraid of EFCC because I have no skeleton in my cupboard. I will not get involved in any shady deal with anybody because I have a name to protect. I will like to leave a good name for my children. I have tried as much as possible not to jeopardize the future of my children while in office by being truthful to my creator.

“We have done our best for the people, let posterity judge us. We have been able to make a difference in all aspects of governance: education; agriculture, infra structural development, information dissemination among others. We have adhered strictly to our 13-point agenda, we came to make a difference and we have rightly done this because you will agree with me that Oyo State as at today is different from what it used to be.”

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