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Gov Akeredolu replies ex-Commissioner who accused him of running Ondo as a family business

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ONDO HOUSE OF SNAKES: Gov Akeredolu accuses lawmakers of mismanaging funds

The governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu has accused a former Commissioner for Information Banji Ayiloge of spreading falsehood against his government.

Governor Akeredolu on Wednesday, said that he would not succumb to alleged blackmail by Ayiloge who is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Recall that Ayiloge in an interview with SaharaReporters on Wednesday, alleged that Akeredolu had ruined all resources of the state within three years in government.

According to him, assignments that should have been carried out by commissioners were now being hijacked by the governor’s immediate family members.

He further alleged that various projects across the state under Akeredolu’s government are shrouded in secrecy.

But reacting in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the governor on Media, Ojo Oyewamide, Akeredolu noted that he wouldn’t find it enthralling to be the only governorship contender in the state.

Oyewamide on behalf of the governor said: “Akeredolu has not, and will not find enthralling, any undemocratic arrangement whereby he is seen to be the only governorship contender. Such is no longer a contest.”

On issues raised by Ayiloge concerning Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), the governor said: “A major part of the vision of this administration is how to boost the IGR of the state.

“Governor Akeredolu believes that government cannot do much with poor IGR. A former staff of WEMA Bank, Mr. Tolu Adegbie, was appointed by the governor as the chairman of Ondo State Internal Revenue Service after emerging the best in a screening exercise conducted for applicants who sought the job.

He added: “Although, the state is yet to attain her target, it is heartwarming to inform the public that the State IGR is no longer crawling. We have improved from N700m to an average of N1.5billion monthly.

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“Unfortunately, Ayiloge is not interested in the productivity of the revenue generation agency and commendable feat it has achieved within the last two years. Rather, the former Commissioner for Information mischievously elected to play politics by falsely linking Governor Akeredolu’s son with the now vibrant organisation.

“This is preposterous and most unexpected of an elder whose passion for self aggrandizement has overshadowed reasoning.

Also on infrastructure, the governor said: “We would have inferred Ayiloge’s comment on infrastructure in the state either shows self abnegation or unkindness to self. However, it is imperative to state that the Akeredolu government, which came on board in 2017, began its infrastructural projects in Ifedore Local Government Area. Ayiloge hails from Ifedore.”

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