••• As Former Governor Amosun Vows To Sack Dapo Abiodun In 2023
The Daily Crucible | Saturday, August 6, 2022
By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
The Governorship candidate of People Democratic Party ( PDP) in Ogun State, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, has expressed willingness to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ogun State Ex - Local Government Political Office Holders ( 12 -15 Congress) to address the nagging issue of N3.5bn entitlement owed them by the state government if the group backed him to win 2023 governorship election.
Adebutu, it was learnt, said if Ogun people gave him the mandate through ballot to govern the state next year, his administration would take necessary steps to positively address the unresolved N3.5bn entitlement owed the affected ex - council political office holders,
The Daily Crucible gathered that this followed the outcome of meeting he held with a delegation of the Ogun State Ex - Local Government Political Office Holders ( 12 -15 Congress) at Park Inn, Abeokuta on Friday.
The group had during the meeting, submitted a well detailed document signed by the State Coordinator, Com. Nuberu Adesanya Olufemi and captioned - Your aspiration as Ogun State governor and our entitlement - Your stance Sir?
The Daily Crucible had earlier reported that
a 10 - man Committee comprising the State Deputy Coordinator, State Secretary, three Senatorial Coordinators, State Publicity Officer, Chairman Contact & Mobilization Committee, Chairman Publicity & Enlightenment Committee, designated Woman LG Coordinator and designated Deponent, was mandated by the group to meet with Hon. Ladi Adebutu at Park Inn, Kuto, Abeokuta today.
The Committee was expected to hear Adebutu regarding his 2023 governorship ambition and will also use the avenue to present a well documented facts on their worsening plights regarding the pending N3.5bn entitlement which the group claimed, remained unpaid by governor Dapo Abiodun - led state government of Ogun State.
It was also learnt that such window of interaction would also be extended to all accessible 2023 governorship candidates in the Gateway State.
The group had in the build up to the 2019 governorship election in the state presented this same nagging issue of its unpaid entitlement to Prince Dapo Abiodun and tasked its members who worked hard enough for the success of Abiodun's election at the time after getting a word from him that he would look into the matter but nothing has been done in that direction since being in office in the last 38 months or more.
The Ex - LG Political Office Holders, reckoned and also resolved that "the responses, commitments and qualities of success of any governorship candidate, irrespective of party affiliation towards our plights would form the basis of our working relationship in 2023 general elections."
The Daily Crucible recalls that Ibadan division of National Industrial Court (NIC) had on the last Valentine's Day, ordered the Ogun State Government to pay N3.5bn to the ex - local government political office holders (2012-2015 congress).
The said money was deemed the total amount deducted from their salaries under the watch of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who was the governor of Ogun State when the alleged illegality was routinely carried out.
Amosun is now representing Ogun Central at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.
The political office holders, said to be over 500 had dragged the Ogun State Government, the governor and over a dozen others to the Industrial Court in May 2020, after several attempts to have an audience with governor Abiodun failed.
The affected past office holders reckoned that the action contravened the Ogun State Local Government Law 2008, adding that when they were leaving office in 2015, the money was not paid to them.
Delivering judgement on the matter on that fateful February 14, 2022, Justice Dele Peters held that deducting the salaries of the appointees via a memo was illegal, adding that "anything against statutory law is obnoxious, null and void."
The Court, therefore, proceeded to order the state government to pay the deducted salaries of the political office holders with 15% interest within 30 days to the day the judgement was delivered.
However, just while the affected persons were looking forward to when they would reap the benefits of their favourable court judgement, the governor rushed to the appellate court in Ibadan to challenge the said judgement.
Meanwhile, former governor Ibikunle Amosun has vowed to ensure that his successor, governor Dapo Abiodun, did not return as governor in 2023.
Amosun who has remained aversed to Dapo Abiodun's governorship bid since 2018, reiterated that he is not in support of the present administration in the state, vowing that all efforts must be made to dethrone him from power and politically in 2023.
Former presidential aspirant spoke shortly after receiving an award from the Abeokuta Club to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the social group, also claiming that the 2019 governorship election in the state was rigged to favour Abiodun and called on his supporters to be on the lookout for the next line of action.
He claimed that the 2019 Ogun state Governorship election where he supported candidate of Allied People's Movement (APM), Hon. AbdulKabir Akinladr, was won by Akinlade.
The senator representing Abeokuta Central Senatorial district revealed that those involved in rigging his preferred candidate -Akinlade, out have disclosed their roles in the rigging and have also apologised.
He explained that there was a gang up against his person noting that he had since moved on.
Responding to a comment that he did not spread his administration achievements across the state, Amosun said his land mark projects are present in all the senatorial districts in the state.
Earlier, former ex -governor Olusegun Osoba commended Senator Amosun for the infrastructural upgrade of Abeokuta capital city including the ongoing amphitheatre at the Alake palace.
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