N126m Fraud: Akande Replies Oyinlola
Says allegation lacking in common sense and good conscience
By Joseph Ushigiale, Olawale Olaleye, Ndubuisi Ugah in Lagos and Hammed Shittu in Osogbo
Former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, has dismissed corruption allegations levelled against him by his successor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as "lacking in commonsense and good conscience."
Oyinlola last weekend gave details of how Akande and two others defrauded Osun State to the tune of N126 million.
In his response entitled, "Re: Bola Ige House Project and Alleged Fraud in Osun State (II), with copies made available to THISDAY, Akande said he is compelled to join issues with his successor "to call your conscience into question on one or two matters."
According to him, since assuming office, Oyinlola had made spirited attempts to malign him beginning with the allegation accusing his administration of stealing funds appropriated for two borehole water rigs which, although imported into the state, were later returned when found defective.
Akande said though his erstwhile Commissioner for Water Resources defended his role in the alleged fraud, "you led a team to England to re-negotiate additional prices for the rigs. I understand that the rigs are still not being put to use by your administration after a year in office."
While accusing Oyinlola of seizing the opportunity of the on-going probe of failed contracts by the Federal Government to implicate him, Akande said contrary to the allegations that Bola Ige House project was abandoned, "it was substantially completed at the time we left office."
He accused Oyinlola of crying wolf where none existed by renovating his current governor's lodge at a whopping N800m, while at the same time accusing him of spending less than N900m to build the Ige House, already roofed and plastered before the end of his tenure.
Akande described Oyinlola's use of over N800m to renovate a lodge as the height of insensitivity. "This is done by you among a people who hardly have roofs on their heads and potable water to drink."
He challenged Oyinlola to state "how much your administration has further spent in your claim to upgrade the facilities in Bola Ige's House. This is for Nigerians and Osun people, to know how much of public funds your administration has expended on projects of little relevance to the expectations of our people."
He said rather than threatening to arraign him before a Magistrate court that could be manipulated "it is an insult to the sensibility of Obasanjo's policy and the authority of the National Assembly who created the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC)."
On the allegation that he approved an additional N230m for sub-contractors May 19, 2003, Akande said "you failed to reveal also that it was you who revalidated whatever I approved and authorised payment even when, according to you, the accounts remained muddled."
He said it was never his style to make purchases. "Do I need to tell you as the governor that a governor has no business purchasing any items of whatever description? While it may be the style of some governors to do so, purchase of individual items of furniture, fixtures and fittings was not my indulgence," he said.
On being referred to by Oyinlola as a failed Awoist, Akande said "Awoism is a body of political philosophy which places the welfare of the citizens above the comfort of those in government at reasonably reduced cost. That is exactly what I stood for as governor from May 1999 to May 2003. The verdict of the people is clear."
On the way forward, Akande said, "I am enjoying the on-going argument about what you called fraud. At the end of the argument, between you and me, it should be clear to the public who is a liar. It should also become clear that your motive is not to recover money for the state but to bring odium on me by your whims and the caprice of your collaborators."
Also speaking at the 70 birthday lecture organised in honour of Professor Wole Soyinka yesterday in Lagos, Akande said that he would not be bothered by the allegations since they are far from the truth.
"What do you expect? It is not strange when thieves call owners thieves. All you do is just ignore and go away. I'm not worried and not deterred in any way. I'm very free and comfortable", he stated.
However, Alliance for Democracy (AD) yesterday, described the allegation against Akande as malicious, offensive and untenable.
The party in a statement yesterday, by its Publicity Secretary (Lagos State chapter), Toyin Caxton-Martins, said if Oyinlola was confident of himself with regards to the allegation, the best thing he ought to have done was to go to court. He added that it would be more useful for the governor (Oyinlola) to spend the remainder of his tenure in building on the constructive, people-oriented programmes that Akande started in the state.
The party stated that it was unfortunate that Oyinlola could devise such crude means of tarnishing the image of Akande, who while in office distinguished himself as a principled person.
"We are none of us perfect, but the honourable thing to do is to acknowledge what is good and build on it but this type of unwarranted, disparaging accusation against a person of Chief Akande's calibre is malicious, offensive and untenable," the party stated.
The party said the allegation of financial misappropriation made by Oyinlola against Akande "is intended to tarnish the good image of the former governor of the same state and the current chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD)".
Meanwhile, no fewer than 17 lawyers have signified their intention to defend Akande at the law court.
Already, the solicitors and advocates led by the former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) have been collating their data together for the celebrated case.
THISDAY checks revealed that the lawyers who volunteered themselves for the case were said to have been convinced that the former governor could not have indulged on the alleged act.
Sources close to the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the state confirmed the development.
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