Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has reacted to Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu’s statement that he will hail him when he becomes governor in 2019.
The governor in a statement issued by the Special Adviser, Communication, and Strategy, Mr. Bolaji Tunji said that the minister should be the one to be afraid of going to jail in view of the damaging allegations made against him by all his aides who resigned en mass following his refusal to pay their emoluments.
Related: Ajimobi Will Land In Jail When I Become Oyo Governor – Shittu
Governor Ajimobi also advised aggrieved stakeholders in the just concluded ward congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to explore the party’s internal organs for seeking redress rather than engaging in actions capable of further sowing the seed of discord within the party.
As leaders and stakeholders in the party, the governor said it would be counter-productive to engage in actions and utterances that tend to further divide the party, adding that he would on his own part continue to do the best for Oyo State.
He said the advice became necessary in view of the utterances credited to the Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu and his cohorts in the aftermath of the ward congresses held on Sunday.
“In any case, Shittu should be the one that should be afraid of going to jail in view of many allegations made against him as the minister. Few of these are his alleged illegally-acquired property in Ibadan and Abuja and sudden unexplainable and stupendous wealth not commensurate with his emoluments.
“In addition, his recent attempt to covert and appropriate a parcel of land belonging to Saki community, which was stoutly resisted by his own people, has shown his level of greed, avarice, and penchant for appropriating what does not belong to him.
“Governor Ajimobi remains a distinguished Senator of the country who had successfully traversed the corporate world and got to the peak of his career as the Managing Director and Chief Executive of a multinational; a position that requires a high degree of integrity, ability, and capability.
“All these attributes have reflected in the way he has successfully managed the affairs of the state in the last seven years, which has transformed the face and fortunes of the state and had attracted an unmatched number of investors to the state.
“Similarly, Governor Ajimobi’s track record in his first term earned him an unprecedented second term, a feat for which he would forever remain grateful to the good people of the state.
“Something that cannot be taken away from Governor Ajimobi is his unrepentant commitment to the assurance of peace, safety and security across the length and breadth of Oyo State, which had hitherto been under the control of some erstwhile garrison commanders.
Having consistently won elections over the years, Ajimobi remains a man to be rivalled by politicians who are known to be serial election losers and now desperate to become the governor of Oyo State where governance has been raised beyond the limit of people with mediocre ability.
In the last seven years, Ajimobi has managed the affairs of Oyo State prudently and with the fear of God, and will not be distracted from his well-articulated programmes of security, safety, and peace as well as the developmental strides which the administration has been known for; until May 29, 2019 when he will hand over to a worthy, capable, seasoned and tested successor.
“Ajimobi remains the leader and father of the APC and will continue to work towards the success of the party at the state and national levels, and the progress of the state.”
