To Ola… Olu… is Mr Governor cancelling Agagu projects just like that or is he checking workable projects that were justly contracted out and finding none? I do not believe Mimiko would just cancel projects just because it was given out by Agagu. We should remember that Agagu started so many new projects at undefendable costs just to waste away the coffers of the State when he knew he would not win the appeal. We should consider things deeply and see if there is any sense behind some actions before we blame the governor.

I pray that the people of Ondo State and the Constitution prevails at the end, but I go one step further, I pray this is done via the Governor who is the No1 person in Ondo State and who is responsible for everything in Ondo State. If Ondo State does well the Kudos is on him and if Ondo State doesnt the shame is also on him. For this reason I pray he wins and I support him fully all the way. I pray I do not have any cause to change my mind.
Peace.

On your remark to me, true say that I am a true loyal supporter of the Governor, but I am not and will never be highminded about anything. I support a good cause and pray that it remains a good cause. I will never play the sycophant or gullible fool who will blindly support anything, including wrong things. I for one, if I note that Mr Governor is doing something wrong, I will without condeming him and by asking if there was no better way of doing things, present an alternative in a mature and constructive way. The reason why I have not had to do this yet, is because I have tried to study the modus operandi of the Governor. I am not fighting this battle for what I can get but for what THE PEOPLE OF ONDO STATE SHOULD BE GETTING. For this, I call for patience because it was with calculated, sensible and intelligent patience that Mr Governor got his Mandate back.

Ondo State has a lot of complexities and these are to be sorted out. If Mr Governor chooses to be patient and release info as deemed fit, then patience is what we need. For example if we all start to castigate him now, and he proves us wrong then we would have done him and injustice. If we bear with him and he does not deliver then he would have done God, Labour Party, the people of Ondo State and even little ME wrong. I pray this is not the case for what would I have supported Democracy and fight injustice for? I note that he is working on and if there are areas of concern, I understand he has a personal website. Let us make good use of this and bring our concerns to him. We are the messiah of our state as you said and we all would have to work together for the good of Ondo State.

Dear Ola Olu, I value people like you from your comment and please keep up with it and on this forum too. I sometimes feel anxious about what it would mean if Mr Governor turns out to be like any of the other politicians who are in it for what they can get only but I have a very deep conviction the Mimiko will not fail Ondo State. After 6 months in office, let us see what he would do and announce as his achievements so far. After this we can pose direct questions and challenge him directly. We want to be fair to everyone including Mr Governor amen

Peace my brother and peace my people.

Ondo moves to probe Agagu’s aide over secret account
From Niyi Bello, Akure

THE government of Ondo State has requested the State Police Command to arrest and prosecute Mr. Bode Obolo, former Special Assistant to former governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu on multilateral relations for allegedly running a secret government account during the tenure of the past administration.

The development came as the House of Assembly ordered fresh investigations into the secret accounts scandal that has, in the last two months, pitched the government against the opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

While the government insisted that it had indeed discovered the accounts to show that the Agagu government was involved in a lot of financial improprieties, some officials of the former administration described the allegation as a ruse. They called on the Labour Party (LP) government to disclose the particulars.

The mainly PDP membership Assembly also ordered a thorough investigation into the matter, as both the Commissioner for Information, Ranti Akerele, who made the disclosure, and his Finance counterpart, Wole Akinterinwa, were not able to substantiate the allegations with documentary evidence.

But in a state-wide broadcast to the people of the state on Monday, Governor Olusegun Mimiko shed more light on the controversy with the disclosure of the account number in an undisclosed bank in Akure, the state capital.

Mimiko, in what he said was an example of personalisation of government accounts which he alleged was prevalent during Agagu’s tenure, added that the head of multilateral relations unit operated an account solely on his own on behalf of the government.

According to the governor, “the said official was the sole signatory to the account with No 0122070235677001 and he solely operated it contrary to the regulation governing the operation of public accounts. Our preliminary findings showed that about N1 billion went through this single account! Curiously, this official still withdrew money from the account after government froze all accounts.

“The last withdrawal, the sum of N9.1 million, was in June 2009, four months after leaving office. We also found out that other accounts were opened outside the state in government’s name in manners that did not conform to laid-down rules.”

Obolo who also headed the multilateral unit of the Governor’s Office and was overseeing government’s relationship with international agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), was alleged to have operated the accounts in which government funds were being kept without following regulations guiding such transactions.

In a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Donald Iroham, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Aderotimi Adelola, the state government reportedly requested that the said Agagu’s aide should be invited for questioning by the police to get to the root of the allegations.

The letter also expressed government’s desire to unravel other personalities that may be involved in the illegal running of the accounts and bring them to book with a view to retrieving public funds that may have been stolen by such personalities.

During plenary yesterday, the Assembly while playing host to both Akinterinwa and Akerele who came to apologize for their inability to furnish the lawmakers with the required facts of the secret accounts, directed its Public Accounts Committee to begin fresh investigations into the matter.

The Speaker, Taofeek Olawale Abdusalaam, who presided over the session, said “with the allegations and the fresh facts disclosed by the governor yesterday, even though he didn’t deem it fit to address us directly, we found it necessary to order the committee to get to the roots of the matter so that fingered officials could be punished and state funds retrieved”.

The seven-man Niyi Adebusuyi committee on Public Accounts was given two weeks to submit its reports while the two commissioners and the ministry officials were asked to stay behind and furnish the lawmakers with the necessary information.

As a reminder, let us cast our minds back to Obama of the USA and his promises which were genuine and not a campaign gaff, BUT when he got into office, he realised that the economic and political situation was much more than he bargained for. He was not “crucified” for this or attacked unwittingly. Nevertheless at the same time, it did not stop Obama from performing and we witness a young President of the USA carrying on successfully. Governor Mimiko will deliver the goods, but we have to show some understanding. He had no access to the accounts prior to resuming office, and thank God Labour Party was able to cry foul when Agagu in less than three months gave contracts out to the tune of over 65 BILLION NAIRA! So why dont we believe that this same Agagu can leave debts of N117billion? VERY POSSIBLE AND TRUE I SAY.

Agagu wrecked havoc in Ondo State and damage control is Mimiko’s first task in order to carry out his election promises. Man proposes, God disposes. Even if there is a delay due to wickedness in high places from the former government, Patience is what will get us there. There is no point trying to attack or mock Mimiko at this early stage, especially if you want the good of Ondo State. Look on the bright side, see how much organised Ondo State is becoming. Very soon all jigsaw puzzles will fall into place.

Peace my people – Yound and Old

I inherited N117bn debt from Agagu – Mimiko
National News Aug 10, 2009

By Dayo Johnson
GOVERNOR Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State yesterday made public the position of the state finances, revealing that the immediate administration of Dr Olusegun Agagu left N117billion debt for his administration.
In a swift reaction, however, the immediate past governor Dr Olusegun Agagu said the allegation was diversionary and a way to cover the present administration’s lack of vision.
In a statement to newsmen in Akure yesterday, Dr Agagu said “our government did not owe a dime as at the time Mimiko was installed.”
Speaking through his former Chief of Staff, Mr. Femi Agagu, the former governor said “In fact we had paid 50 percent mobilization on most of the contracts awarded and had enough money ready for any certificate that cold be due.
“We were not owing salaries, allowances, banks or contractors. The whole issue of debt is diversionary and a way of covering their lack of vision.”
The incumbent governor in his broadcast said over N282b accrued to the immediate past administration in six years, while only N51b accrued to the late Chief Adefarati administration between 1999 -2003. According to him, the N117bn left behind by Agagu as commitment on contracts and other liability was about 300% above the N34.2b which his government met as liquid assets from the Agagu administration.
The Governor pointed out that given the wide gulf between the inherited State’s liquid assets of N34.2b and the liabilities of N117b the situation had placed a lot of stress on government in meeting the genuine aspirations of the people of the State as encapsulated in its manifesto.
He further said that “at the present level of income, and even without government embarking on any new capital project expenditure, it will take us at least Ten years to meet these commitments.
The reality from the foregoing therefore is that the State will have to re-prioritize
ongoing capital projects.”
Describing the spending as mindless and questionable, Dr Mimiko said that this suggested “a deliberate action particularly after the July 25, 2008 Tribunal verdict, to render the State bankrupt as well as a hint of a predatory mindset determined to lay the finances of the State to waste rather than leave behind a healthy balance in the event of a court-ordered ejection from power.”
“The value of such contracts awarded between July 25, 2008 when Election Petition Tribunal gave its verdict and the Court of Appeal affirmation of February 2009 was in the excess of N51.1Billion. This exceeded the value of those awarded in the entire first four years of the administration.”
Dr Mimiko equally revealed that contracts for road construction and buildings attracted 50% mobilization fee in those seven months of contract bazaar as against the 30% obtainable in the preceding era and as sanctioned by extant financial regulations.
He listed some of these projects with funny payments obviously used to skim the State of billions of naira as: the Ajagba-Iyasan Road whose earthwork component worth N300M, earlier done early in the Agagu Administration was duplicated and the entire contract was re-awarded to Messrs GSQ Ltd for N902m.
The governor said that a Lawn mower for the Golf Course project in Idanre was supplied for N1m when a lawnmower of the same specification sells for N65, 000.00 per unit in the open market in Akure.
The Owena Multipurpose Dam, a contract of N14Billion was hurriedly rushed through, out of which N3.8Bn was paid few days to the exit of the administration.
According to him, the State government had approached the World Bank to help procure the services of a consultant of international repute to help re-assess the project.
The Adagbakuja New Town, a project initiated by the Adefarati Administration under the name, Ugbo New Town and for which that administration had carried out an Environmental Impact Assessment through the Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission
The governor disclosed that when Dr. Agagu came on board, the Environmental Impact Assessment was replicated for N25m followed by a Master Plan design (Urban and Regional) at N95m while another N70M was spent on a purported ‘Master Plan (Engineering).’
“A contract of N6.7Bn was awarded for sand filling of the area with 100% payment already made without retention fee for post-consolidation period as conventional practice requires.
Meanwhile, aides to the former governor said that Dr Agagu would react to the broadcast after he might have digested the content thoroughly.