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 Daily Independent Online.
* Friday,July 16, 2004.
N126m
fraud: Osun AD, PDP in war of words
By
’Gbenga Faturoti
Special Correspondent, Osogbo
As
the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State expressed its support
for Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola in his quest to retrieve the N126
million-contract scam allegedly perpetrated by former Governor Adebisi
Akande and two others, its archrival, the Alliance for Democracy (AD),
has warned that Akande must not die in any bizarre manner in PDP’s net.
In
what appeared to be war of words, the parties in separate statements on
Thursday accused each other of fraudulent practices.
The
AD in a statement signed by its publicity secretary, alleged that there
were plans by the PDP controlled government in the state to kill the former
governor.
It
also accused some top officials of the Oyinlola administration of
demanding a kick back of N75 million from the architect handling the
controversial new governor’s office christened ‘Bola Ige House.’
AD
disclosed that it was the refusal of the architect to offer the said
officials bribe that sparked off the current raging crisis over the
contract.
The
party, which refused to mention the officials, stated “we refused to
comment on the trite this long not because of any other thing than our desire
to allow the good people of Osun State and the discerning public in
general sees who really is the rogue that should be stoned on the street.”
According
to the party, “finally, a note of warning - Osun AD want to sound it loud
and clear that Chief Bisi Akande must not die the way Kudirat Abiola died
then in Lagos State, he must not die the way Chief Bola Ige died after
being exposed to virulent attack on his personality and in the press. A
word is enough for the wise.”
The
party noted that Oyinlola has opened a pandora box and ignited a fire he
could no more quench, adding, “The people should ask the present
administration who actually paid the controversial money to the
architect.”
But
the PDP insisted that Oyinlola must make good his threat by retrieving
the controversial N126 million.
The
PDP advised the governor not to bother by the antics of the former
governor, saying that it is solidly behind Oyinlola in every step he
takes on the matter.
In
a swift reaction to the AD’s statement, the Media Assistant to the
governor, Mr. Bamidele Salam, said Akande was just buying time by
employing diversionary tactics on the matter.
He
noted that the former governor and his cohorts were trying to trivialise
the matter and not answered to the people over the case.
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