PRESS RELEASE
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ondo state chapter says governor Rotimi Akeredolu is working to use the house of assembly to shield his family from facing corruption petition at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr Kennedy Ikantu Peretei said this in a statement made available to Technocrat Media on Thursday.
PDP had on Wednesday published the names of eight companies allegedly owned by Babajide Akeredolu, the son of the governor and his family being used to siphon the State’s resources.
The party said it has forwarded its petitions to the EFCC about the alleged corruption in the State.
The statement read below
ONDO STATE ANTI-CORRUPTION BILL: AN ATTEMPT BY AKEREDOLU TO SHIELD HIS FAMILY FROM INVESTIGATION.
The Ondo State House of Assembly under the incompetent and rudderless leadership of Rt. Honourable David Oloyelogun has perfected plans to hurriedly pass the Ondo State Anti-corruption bill forwarded to the State Assembly on 23rd December 2021. Barring any last-minute intervention, the bill will be passed into law this week.
The bill tagged ” A Bill for a law to establish the Ondo State Public Complaints, Financial Crime and Anti-corruption Commission and others connected thereto 2021″ was carefully crafted to give sweeping exclusive powers to the Agency in matters of corruption in the State.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ondo State Chapter is in full support of institutional framework to stamp out corruption in the State, if only the intentions are genuine and transparently honest. The Rotimi Akeredolu government has in several ways demonstrated that it is irredeemably soaked in the sea of corruption, especially his family. He can, therefore, not go behind the door to institute laws as a subterfuge for his activities to circumvent the law.
Sections 14(3) and 14(4) of the proposed law states inter alia “The Commission shall upon the commencement of this law, take over the investigation of all Anti-corruption and Financial crimes cases involving the finances and assets of Ondo State government being; investigated by any other agency”. Section 14(4) states; “the agency shall cause an investigation to be conducted into the properties of any public servant (s) within the jurisdiction of the state; if it appears to the Commission that the person’s lifestyle and extent of the properties are not justified by the person’s legitimate source of income”.
The powers are given to the Attorney General of the state to regulate the operations of the Commission, if the bill is passed all point to a subtle legal cover to do more unthinkable damage to the treasury of the state.
Given the antecedents of David Oloyelogun and the Ondo State 9th Assembly, there is nothing to expect other than a speedy passage of this bill. But we owe it a duty to inform the Ondo State people of this new move to provide cover for criminality.
Kennedy Ikantu Peretei
State Publicity Secretary, Ondo PDP.
6th January 2022.