Politics

My Successor ‘Scared Away’ Investors From Abeokuta – Amosun

Published

3 years ago

June 26, 2021

Editor

Former Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has appealed to investors to return to the site proposed for the City Centre in Okelewo Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, revealing how they were allegedly scared away by the present administration.

DAILY POST quotes Amosun as saying that the investors left the site when the present Governor, Dapo Abiodun-led government dragged them to court after he (Amosun) left office in May 2019.

The Ogun Central Senator had in a video recalled how he toiled day and night to lure investors to invest in the city centre.

The former governor said the centre was designed to accommodate a world-class shopping mall, a service centre, an amphitheatre already constructed by his administration, a number of banks among other facilities.

According to him, the investors, including banks, all acquired lands, expressing disappointment that all, except GTB, have left because they were taken to court by the state government.

Amosun made the revelation yesterday while commissioning the GTB training complex at the said City Centre in Abeokuta.

DAILY POST reports that this will be the first time the former governor will be speaking out about Ogun State, making veiled references to his successor since he left office two years ago.

His words: “When you people told me that this place will be commissioned, I picked up my phone and called all others that, ‘please help me, GTB is opening now, I don’t want this place to be like this.

“All of them have left, and I said, ‘it shouldn’t be like that. That I am not here doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue.

“This place you are, you all were taken to court. GTB also was taken to court. And I said, ‘don’t worry, I will sort it out. We sold the land for you. You paid for it. Everybody paid for it. Ogun State enjoyed the money.’

“But some people somehow said they should go to court, and everybody (the investors) just left. Everybody went away.

“I am begging them today that they should watch the television and they will notice that we are opening this place today. So all of you, come back, come and start your job,” Amosun pleaded.

Facing the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Tokunbo Talabi, who represented Gov Abiodun at the occasion, Amosun added, “The new SSG, when you see them working, I am begging them round to say this dream must not die. So, they are coming back now, all that you wanted, you will see it. It will happen. All our ancestors in Ogun State will support us. We are Ogun State. We are the cradle of civilization. We are the first to have access to western education. We are not bragging, that is the truth.”

Speaking about the present administration’s reduction of the width of the Abeokuta-Sagamu highway, which he said was originally designed to be 10 lanes, Amosun stated that, “Everybody will come and do their own. Whatever anybody does, posterity is there to judge you.”

He spoke further that, “When you’re doing something, don’t think anybody is going to praise you. Just be focused and don’t be deterred by what Mr A or Mr B will say. Those that will not like you, even if you build the tallest building in the world, they will not see it.”

At inception, Amosun said the city centre was expected to be almost the largest in Nigeria.

(DAILY POST)

Related Topics:Abiodun Amosun Govt Ogun Successor

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Politics

JUST IN: Ex-PDP Deputy National Chair, Oyedokun Defects To APC

Published

10 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Editor

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, has resigned his membership of the party and announced defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Oyedokun, a notable personality within the political circle in Osun State and beyond, said he decided to dump the PDP after consultation with his loyalists.

He said he would be joining APC, where his experience, efforts, and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.

His resignation letter addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP through the ward, local government and state chairmen of the party obtained late Thursday further read, “As a functional member and leader of PDP (Ward 13, Jagun/ Osi-Bale Ode, Odo-Otin South Local Government, Osun State,) whose high electoral productivity and value have been credibly and positively acknowledged in my ward, across the local council, state and country-wide for the enhancement of the fortune of the PDP, I have the honour (though with pain) in announcing the renunciation of my membership of the party on principle, having observed that the ideals of we, founding members, had been sorely contaminated.

“In taking this step which is not even without due consultation with my teaming loyalists in the PDP, I have consequently decided to shift my allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC) where I believe my experience, efforts and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.”

Oyedokun’s defection to the APC is coming at the time the aspirant he supported during the 2022 Osun governorship primary of PDP, Mr Dotun Babayemi is also moving to the national ruling party.

Osun APC said on Wednesday that Babayemi and his supporters would be dumping PDP and joining the party at a rally scheduled to be held in Osogbo on Friday.
PUNCH

Politics

Poll: APC Has No Sellable Candidate, Nothing To Campaign On – Edo Govt

Published

3 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

The Edo State Government claimed on Monday that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has no credible candidate for the September 21 governorship election.

This was an assertion made by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, at a press conference in Benin City.

Nehikhare also alleged that the party is using lies and propaganda as its campaign strategy.

According to him: “The only APC strategy for the governorship election is to resort to lies and propaganda. When a party takes lies and propaganda as an election strategy, it means it has nothing to offer the people. The party lacks people with character, capacity, and intellect.”

The commissioner who took journalists through a screened shot WhatsApp chat said: “What we have here is the official APC WhatsApp platform, their own people screenshot their discussion. One of them who has a conscience asks, is this the only thing we have?”

Nehikhare, who said APC is ashamed to campaign for its candidate, noted that, as of today, nobody had heard of what the party has for the state.

“All we heard is how they are going to help their paymaster, lies and propaganda that will not help the state,” he added.

He opined that lies and propaganda are not strategies the opposition party, like APC, can use to win the September 21 governorship election.

The commissioner, who warned against misinformation and fake news ahead of the governorship election, urged media practitioners to be neutral in matters concerning lies and propaganda.

He, however, noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has a lot of achievements to market and sell its candidate for the election.

Politics

Defection: Edo Govt, Ex-PDP BoT Member, Idahosa In Verbal War

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

Edo State government and a former member of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, Charles Idahosa, on Monday traded words over the latter defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Recall that Idahosa resigned
formally resigned who had last month resigned from PDP, rejoined the APC on Monday in Benin City.

Speaking during his formal presentation to the APC in Benin City, he noted that he left the party four years ago due to internal crisis.

Idahosa added that he dumped the PDP because of what he described as the “damning deeds of the Obaseki-led administration in the last four years”.

He took a swipe at Obaseki for saying that PDP would win the forthcoming September governorship election with 80 per cent of votes.

“I thank God, four years later we all are wiser now. Like the Secretary said, I was a founding member of ACD, ACN and APC. The damage we did four years ago, the APC never remained the same.

“But I am glad we are back to the family. I was nominated to the Board of the Railway when I was in the APC. When I moved to the PDP, I wrote to resign my membership but it was rejected and showed my wide acceptance.

“At 71, I am not here to contest position with anybody, I am here to work. I want to urge APC to keep their eyes on the ball. It is not over until it is over.”

While lambasting Governor Obaseki for his comment that those leaving PDP have been given money, he noted that his greatest regret was not allowing the governor to resign after his first four years in office.

“When he came to beg me like a weather beaten chicken, how much did he give to me? Anytime he goes religious gathering he would say those leaving PDP have been given money.

“He came to me three times in my house to say he wants to resign, that he was tired of being governor but I appealed to him, telling him it was not about him but Benin interest.”

But in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare alleged that Idahosa was never a PDP member.

Nehikhare noted that Idahosa was also never a BOT member of the party, because the party in the state rejected his nomination.

He alleged that it was as a result of the rejection that he found his way back to APC.

“I heard that he claimed to be a member of BOT of PDP but I want to challenge him to tell us when he was sworn in as a member of PDP BOT. He was not a fit and proper person. Even though he was nominated he was shunned by the party.

“It was this that drove him back to APC which he never left in the first place. He was holding on to the board appointment which was offered him while in APC prior to 2020 governorship election.

“He has reached the end of his political career. He has nothing to offer any political party or any group he joins because he believes in bread and butter politics,” Nehikhare said.