Posted by From AKEEB ALARAPE, Ibadan on
Immediate past governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasidi Ladoja, on Thursday, said he was ready to appear before the proposed judicial panel of enquiry to be set up by his erstwhile deputy and now governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala.
• He's panic stricken-Akala's aide
Immediate past governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasidi Ladoja, on Thursday, said he was ready to appear before the proposed judicial panel of enquiry to be set up by his erstwhile deputy and now governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala.
Ladoja, however, based his appearance on the fact that the panel would be headed by a retired or serving judge of proven integrity, with eminent jurists as members, who would be impartial in carrying out the exercise while the term of reference of the panel also must cover the entire four years of his tenur, including the 11 months that Akala held sway as governor following his illegal impeachment.
The state government in a statement yesterday, however, described Ladoja's reaction as an indication that he has started panicking. The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Michael Lana, had told journalists at the end of the weekly Executive Council meeting on Wednesday that the state government had concluded plans to probe the administration of Ladoja.
Reacting to the planned probe yesterday, Ladoja, who spoke through his former secretary to the state government (SSG), Mr. Dele Adigun, stated that he has no skeleton in his cupboard to be afraid of. The former governor pointed out that Akala administration had taken several steps in a bid to ensure that he was nailed at all cost, citing series of petitions against him that had been forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police (SFU), as well as the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) but all which came to nought.
'The three agencies of government duly empowered to investigate financial misappropriation by government officials had carried out their investigation and they had not said we are corrupt."