A former governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, has faulted the state Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, over his claim that the coronation of the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji, cost the state N100m.
Ladoja was reacting to the statement the governor made on the state broadcasting outfit during an interview on Saturday.
In a statement signed on behalf of Ladoja by one of his media aides, Lanre Latinwo, the former governor stated that Ibadan people did not beg the governor for money for the coronation of the monarch a year ago.
The statement said, “Was the money he claimed to have spent budgeted for? Was it personal money? Did Ibadan people go to him cap in hand for him to foot the bill? Oyo State money should be spent judiciously for the use of all the people of the state and not a section of it. How much did the governor spend on the coronation ceremonies in other towns and cities?”
Ladoja also chided the state governor over the suggestion that tuition fee at the state-owned Ladoke Akintola University of Technology should be reviewed.
He also denied ever receiving a gift of a plot of land from the present government.
“To set the records straight, the land in question is a plot of land which shares a common fence with Ladoja’s house and he has been the one weeding the plot and keeping it clean.
“Last year, the state Housing Corporation put a notice on the land to the effect that the state government wanted to revoke the plot. At that point, Ladoja indicated interest and wrote a letter to the officials and copied the letter to the governor.
“The land had been fallow before Ladoja became governor and he never abused his office by appropriating the government land to himself. So, when the matter got to his office, he (Ajimobi) said it should be given to Ladoja free of charge.
“Ladoja queried whether the governor has power to waive a statutory payment and wrote to the Housing Corporation asking for the cost of the allocation and to which no response has been sent till date. The story that he gave Ladoja a parcel of land therefore does not add up,” said Ladoja aide.