Less than 24 hours after the defection of the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) the state government has sacked seven of the deputy governor’s aides.
The sack of all aides was contained in a statement issued and signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Segun Ajiboye, who said the sack of the aides is with immediate effect.
Ajiboye said in the statement that the “Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has relieved the following aides of their appointments.
The affected aides are Special Assistant, Special Duties, Mr Olomu Bayo, Special Assistant, Photography, Mr Olawale Abolade Mukaila, and the Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Mr Babatope Okeowo.
Others include Personal Assistant, (Deputy Governor), Mr Samuel Sam Ogunmusi, Special Assistant to the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mr Tokunbo Omotunmise Phobia, and Mrs Erifeyiwa Shola Akinnugba, (Photography, wife of the Deputy Governor)
“The affected aides are advised to submit all government’s properties in their possession to the Chief of Staff to the Governor. Arakunrin Akeredolu wishes them luck in their future endeavours.
Earlier, the Special Assistant on New Media to the deputy governor, Mr Allen Sowore, was also relieved of his position.
The statement read that “The Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has relieved Mr Allen Sowore of his appointment with immediate effect.
“Until his sack, Mr Sowore was a Special Assistant to the governor on New Media.
“Mr Sowore is advised to submit all government’s properties in his possession to the Chief of Staff to the Governor. The Governor wishes him the best of luck in his future endeavour”
However, TribuneOnline gathered that Sowore’s sack may not be unconnected with the face-off between the State Commissioner of Police and the deputy governor.
Sowore was alleged to be the brain behind the viral video showing the confrontation between the state’s Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami, stopping the deputy governor from leaving the Government’s House.
The sacked aide was also alleged to have made comments in support of the deputy governor’s defection on a local FM station on Monday.
The Police Commissioner was said to have stopped the deputy governor aides from leaving the government quarters with some government property.
The state governor, Akeredolu claimed to know nothing about the CP’s action, he accused Ajayi and his aides of wanting to leave “the premises with items wrapped in unclear ownership” and described the CP’s action as “most desirable”.
Akeredolu was quoted to have said “It should, however, be placed on record that it is a time-tested code in government’s business for officials to take inventory of offices and quarters before and after an official moves in or out of offices or quarters.
“Accordingly, the CP’s intervention which was at the instance of an almost manipulated security apparatus at the Government House was most desirable to restore law and order.
“It becomes particularly worrisome and suspicious when aides of the deputy governor insisted on leaving the premises with items wrapped in unclear ownership as late as 11 pm.”
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