Ondo State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Mr Adekola Olawoye, has been sacked and subsequently replaced by a Human Right Lawyer, Charles Titiloye.
Olawoye sack was contained in a statement issued and signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Mr Segun Ajiboye, who said the former Commissioner for Justice has been removed.
The statement read: “Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has rejigged his cabinet.
“Following this, he has appointed front line human rights lawyer, Charles Titiloye, as his new Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
“Titiloye is a human right activist and a renowned social critic. He was former Secretary of the Nigerian Bar of Association (NBA), Akure Branch.
Ajiboye said Titiloye’s name would be forwarded to the state House of Assembly for confirmation.
“Mr Governor thanks the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice that has just been removed for services rendered to the state. He wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
However, facts have emerged on why the former Attorney General was eased out of office by Governor Akeredolu, as Olawoye was said to have been having a cold war with the Akeredolu shortly after his two second year in office.
A source within the government confided in Tribune Online that Olawoye had “done many things to undermine the Governor simply because they are friends and from the same place, Owo.”
“I think the governor has even tolerated him for too long; no governor could have absorbed what the man was doing to Akeredolu simply because they are from the same town, Owo and close friends.
“The whole thing started just about two years into the administration when Olawoye complained about favouritism for some persons from Owo against him, and these are young guys with energy who have been very influential.
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“But what was his contribution. He had blackmailed the governor anywhere he found himself and the worst came about a week ago when he took certain unilateral decisions without the knowledge of the governor which caused some embarrassments to the Governor.
He explained further that “The most important of all is his inability to build consensus among top lawyers in the state.
“The ministry has been reduced to nothing and lawyers have so much respect for the Ministry and we think it the right decision to take.
“The most painful thing that happened was last year when the man without the knowledge of the governor, connived with someone from the South senatorial district to sabotage the appointment of the current deputy governor-elect, Lucky Aiyedatiwa from becoming the MD of NDDC.
“Even when that failed, Aiyedatiwa could not be considered for the position of House of Representatives until the President stopped that process.
“To make matters worse, he was the arrowhead of the rumour about the issue of an alleged fake Certificate of Lucky simply because he doesn’t like him.
“That was the reason he was always fighting for a female to be Akeredolu’s deputy instead of Lucky. So he is a very devious man.”
He also disclosed that Akeredolu was embarrassed by the recent public protest embarked upon by lawyers in the state, saying the governor was never briefed about the development until the lawyer staged the protest.
He said: “Apart from that, the governor was embarrassed that Lawyers could embark on public protest. Mind you, he was Attorney General and he knows the importance of the profession.
“There was no time Olawoye brought the issues that led to the protest to his knowledge. He deliberately wanted to embarrass the governor with that.”
Akeredolu sacks Olawoye as Attorney General, appoints human rights lawyer, Titiloye