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Olusegun Agagu |
The Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Agagu was on Wednesday accused of
wasting a whopping N75.7million on the celebration of the Democracy Day
anniversary while basic needs of the people of the State continues to
remain a mirage despite over N65bn received from the Federation Accounts
between May 29 last year to date.
Making this allegation on Wednesday, the Labour Party, (LP), while
describing Agagu led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in the
State as a monumental failure revealed that it has uncovered how Agagu
released a whopping sum of N75,747,100.00 for the Democracy Day
celebration through a Zenith Bank cheque number3855 which it said was
written in the name of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance
and Budget Planning Mr. Abiodun Akinde and released to the Governor
through Payment Receipt (PR) with number 165701 from the Expenses Account
of the Ministry.
While making the disclosure in Akure, LP’s Director of Press, Mr.
Kolawole Olabisi told journalists that it was sad that while the real
dividends of democracy continue to elude the people as opposed to the
orchestrated media hype embarked upon by the Agagu’s government in the
last five years painting a false illusion of a State where everything
works, it is clear that the government has failed to deliver on its
promise to the people.
His words: “Isn’t it sad that despite the fact that Agagu has
collected more money from the federal government than any administrations
in this State since it was created in February 1976. For example, whereas
the total allocation from the Federation Account from May 1999 and April
2003, when the late Chief Adebayo Adefarati who Agagu is ever wont to
vilify at will was the governor, was about N40billion, the corresponding
figure for the period between May 2003 and December 2006 is in excess of
N120billion. In 1999, just before the advent of civil rule, Ondo State’s
total budget was N3.719 billion. For 2006, the Agagu’s Administration
presented a budget of N43.5billion, a growth of 1,170% over the 1999
figure. In 2008, it presented a budget of over N80bn, but how has all
these impacted on this people’s lives?”
“Despite over N10bn spent on water, it has continued to remain a mirage,
people still trek long distances to get water. The Education sector, once
the pride of the State, is in a state of comatose, ditto health facilities
while roads remain a nightmare for the harried people, yet billions of
naira are spent on fluke newspaper and television advertorials and
spotlights to hoodwink our people in the Diaspora. The same goes for
electricity. A visit to Akure the State capital on any night would reveal
the many likes of Agagu. None of the streetlights along the
Ilesa/Oyemekun/ Oba Adesida road, which is the major road that bifurcate
the ancient city works yet Agagu has spent billions of naira on
electricity on paper.”
According to the LP’s spokesman, this was the reason while Agagu lost
in the last April 14, election before he was rigged in. He equally
lambasted Agagu for his penchant for spending huge sums of money on
mundane things while the urgent needs of the people who he hold power in
trust for continue to be relegated to the background. “We are yet to
forget how in February and May 2, this year, Agagu wasted a whopping
N500miion on his birthday and that of his wife, the wedding of his first
son, Feyi and the burial of his mother-In-law, late madam Ebunoluwa
Christiana Aliu. This latest one is another way of frittering the
people’s commonwealth away and it is not acceptable but we are sure
that in the fullness of tome, Agagu and his cohort in this spending spree
will account for how the people’s money was spent.”