LAM TO AKALA: EXPLAIN MONEY MADE FROM SALE OF GOVT HOUSES

By NBF News

*Allegation inapproriate, unfair - Akala
BY OLA AJAYI
IBADAN -FORMER Governor Lamidi Adesina of Oyo State, has challenged the incumbent Governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, to give account of the proceeds from the sale of Government Residential Quarters and lands in parts of the state. He said the people of the state deserved to know what the state made from the sale of their properties.

Adesina, who was addressing mammoth crowd in Omi during the rally of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN,  also dared the governor on the proposed demolition of the State Secretariat of the National Union of Road Transport Workers at Olomi area of the city.

This came as the spokesperson of the party in the Oyo South Senatorial district, Mr. Wasiu Olatubosun, alleged that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  had concluded plans to 'to rig elections in 18 local government councils in the state', alleging that 'some of the governor's hatchet men were moving round with heavy cash targeting labour  leaders particularly the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Nigerian Union of Local Government Employers and the Nigeria Labour Congress'.

Reacting, Governor Akala described the  allegations as baseless.

Speaking through his Special Adviser on Public Communication, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the governor argued that the accusation leveled at the government on the sale of the quarters was inappropriate and unfair.

According to him: 'Contrary to the statement of Alhaji Lam Adesina, N3.6 billion collected from the exercise is intact and in a dedicated account in Intercontinental Bank. The money was fixed to support civil servants going on retirement to alleviate their sufferings in a Contributory Pension Scheme.'

'The reason why the money is still in dedicated account is to allow government to complete all the necessary planning on the scheme. Therefore, it is wild accusation that the money has been mismanaged and the State

Government insists on an apology from the former Governor.

'Before the sale of the quarters, all due processes were followed. There were advertisements in National Dailies and Expression of Intent. In fact, 70% of the beneficiaries were civil servants.'

Continuing,  the statement said, it was insensitive of the former governor to attempt at pontificating solution to the NURTW crisis in Oyo State when his administration established the Union in 2002 as a tool to fight the opposition at that time.