Again Ondo Gov Akeredolu And Deputy Expose Dirty Deals |The Source

By Ayodele Oni, Akure

The Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has described his estranged Deputy, Agboola Ajayi, as “greedy, and someone that lacks contentment”.

According to Akeredolu his Deputy was receiving N13million monthly as running grant which makes him the highest paid Deputy Governor in Nigeria.

But in a swift reaction, Ajayi pointed out that this amount was a peanut, compared to what accrues to the governor’s family monthly from the state purse.

The Governor, who spoke while responding to questions on the state-owned radio station explained that Ajayi had a free hand to operate with unfettered access to all state properties and to his office, stating that two ministries were given to Ajayi to manage but the Deputy Governor was never contented.

“Agboola Ajayi is the highest paid deputy Governor in Nigeria, as I speak. He earns more than the Deputy Governor of Lagos State. He earns over N13 million monthly as running grants for his office.

“Ajayi is just a greedy man that lacks contentment. I gave him a free hand to perform as a deputy governor. I gave him two ministries to run. He constructed roads. He built a number of schools. His wife also built a number of schools. The list is endless.

“Ajayi enjoyed more benefits than his predecessors as a Deputy Governor, but was only greedy. He had a free access to all state properties. He had a free access to me and all documents.

“He was even nick-named Arakunrin Kekere. So, a man that would betray you would betray you no matter how you treat him. I have left Ajayi to God and posterity to judge him” Akeredolu, said.

Reacting to the Governor’s claims, the Deputy Governor stated  that he was appalled by the fact that the governor claimed he pockets state resources every month as if he has been doing so illegally and against the law.

A statement by his media aide, Allen Sowore, states: “The Deputy Governor is surprised that the Governor could go to the press, announcing the sum of N13m as what the Deputy Governor gets, as if it was a gift for personal use, and not for the use of his office.

“The Deputy Governor states that what came to his office, until Akeredolu refused to release same, was 12million Naira per month. This includes the imprest of his office, allowances of staff, fuelling of vehicles, care of his residence and welfare of his aides.

“Huge as the amount may appear, it amounts to not so much when the heads and number of individuals it caters for are considered.

“This also pales to nearly nothing when compared to what Akeredolu and members of his family skim off the purse of our state with reckless abandon.

“For instance, the Governor gets a security vote of N750million every month. He, Akeredolu, also gets an imprest of about N150million, his wife, though occupies no constitutionally recognised position, and takes an imprest of N15million naira per month.

“Apart from this, she collects an additional sum of N11million from the Ministry of Women Affairs, which she runs like a potentate.

“Babajide, Akeredolu’s son, is also not left out in the pillage that Akeredolu and his family is visiting on Ondo State. He too takes a whopping N5m monthly, and rips off the state by taking unbelievable commissions as a consultant to the State on almost every imaginable areas.

“All these are apart from millions and millions they get from inflated contracts awarded to family members and lackeys.”

The Deputy Governor is challenging his boss, the Governor, at October 10 election, after he quit the APC, on the platform of the ZLP.