Controversy rages on alleged plot to kill Ogun Speaker

Tag : Car Speaker Phone

Monday, July 07, 2008
Controversy rages on alleged plot to kill Ogun Speaker
By Charles Coffie-Gyamfi (Abeokuta) and Alex Olise (Lagos)
T HE Chief of Staff to Ogun State Governor, Dr. Yomi Majekodunmi,yesterday denied leading a killer squad to the Abeokuta home of theSpeaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Tunji Egbetokun.
In account of the incident, which occurred at the weekend,Majekodunmi said that he was at the Speaker's house to discuss somestate matters with him. Prior to the visit, the governor's aidesaid he intimated the Speaker on phone about the visit and theagenda, which he accepted.
To prove that he was not an unwanted guest, Majekodunmi said thetalks were held in the Speaker's bedroom.
He told journalists yesterday that the situation took a new turnwhen upon receiving several phone calls, Egbetokun became restiveand suspicious. Thereafter, he (Egbetokun) said that he wasdisturbed by the presence of strange vehicle and its occupants athis gate.
According to Majekodunmi, he explained that the occupants were hisescorts, adding that he was shocked to see the Speaker's supportersand some lawmakers manhandling his aide when he came out of hishost's house.
On the guns found on him and the car's occupants, Majekodunmi saidhe was authorised by the appropriate authorities to use them forself-defence, both at home and outside the state.
On Sunday, Majekodunmi and two persons alleged to be assassins wereparaded for attempting to kill Egbetokun. The Speaker claimed thatthe governor's aide was specifically at his house to kill him.
He also spoke on the political gang up against Daniel by someprominent politicians in the state. He alleged that these powerfulpoliticians from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had infiltratedthe governor's security system and personal staff, that theyattempted to poison him a few weeks ago. Majekodunmi claimed thatDaniel was flown to United Kingdom for treatment on poison-relatedailment.
His words: "I want to tell you that Governor Daniel was poisonedsome few weeks back and had to be secretly flown abroad (UnitedKingdom) for treatment. We thank God that their evil did notmaterialise."
Egbetokun had alleged at the weekend that Majekodunmi led somegunmen to his house to kill him . But governor's aide described theallegation as not only a set-up but also cheap blackmail.
He told journalists in Abeokuta, the Ogun State that the lawmakersshould be wary of setting the state ablaze by their deeds andwords, insisting that the behaviour of the legislators in the pastcouple of months had raised tension in the state.
He accused some indigenes, the PDP) politicians in Abuja and someof the party's leaders in the state of "sponsoring" the lawmakersto cause confusion in Ogun .
Since the former Speaker of the House, Chief Titi Oseni, wasimpeached about two months ago, there has been no love lost betweenthe Legislature and the Executive arm of government.
Egbetokun had alleged that on Sunday, Majekodunmi led seven othermen to his official quarters while concealing three rifles andammunition in the two vehicles they drove in. He believed theirintention was to kill him. The eight men were arrested by securityoperatives and taken to the State Security Service (SSS) office forinterrogation.
But Majekodunmi, who addressed a press conference in Abeokuta onthe matter, said: "It was a set-up, a premeditated plan, ablackmail to destroy my image, which I have built over the years."
He admitted that guns were found in the two vehicles but explainedthat he had a "personal firearm," which he had been licensed since2004 to use for self-defence either at home or wherever he travelsto.
Majekodunmi, who spoke in the presence of the InformationCommissioner, Mr. Kayode Samuel and the Chief Press Secretary, Mr.Wale Adedayo, explained that the second vehicle
in which the two guns were found was his backup car.
"As a Chief of Staff, I was the one who informed the Speaker thatafter their (legislators) two-week trip to the United States(U.S.), they had an opportunity to pay a courtesy call on thegovernor so as to brief him on the trip. They were the ones whochose the date for the courtesy call as a result of which aluncheon was arranged for them.
"I was on my way to Osun State to attend the birthday of my sisterwhen I heard that the lawmakers had shunned the luncheon which dateand time they had chosen."
According to him, on hearing this, he phoned the Speaker, whom hesaid he had a good relationship with, to inform him that he wantedto see him on one-on-one basis.
"On getting to the Speaker's house, I drove in and asked those inthe backup vehicle to wait at the gate."
He continued: "The Speaker ushered me into his bedroom and wediscussed intimately...some of which I wouldn't like to divulge.
"We discussed about the former Speaker's impeachment and told himwe should not take steps that would scare investors..."During thediscussion, I found out that at a point he became agitated. He(Speaker) received several phone calls and went out several times.At a point, he told me that he had spotted a station wagon vehiclewith some people inside, saying that it had made him to becomesuspicious. "I told him that it was my back- up vehicle, so therewas no cause for alarm," he stated.
The governor's aide Majekodunmi, while they were still discussing,heard some loud noise outside, so he rushed out only to find somelegislators and security men beating his escort men." He said hewas surprise because of politics, saying "this set back istemporary, it will soon fade away."
He alleged that the lawmakers had resorted to blackmail becausethey are demanding N20 million each from the state government fortheir personal use, which Daniel refused to approve. Majekodunmialleged that since the relationship between the legislature and theExecutive went sour, "the governor had been poisoned and wesecretly had to fly him abroad for treatment."
His words: "I want to tell you that Governor Daniel was poisonedsome few weeks back and had to be secretly flown abroad (UK) fortreatment. We thank God that their evil did not materialise."
He alerted that the legislators and their collaborators by theiractions are trying to destabilise the state through their actions,saying "why they want to set the state back, I don't know."
Majekodunmi named a serving minister whom he alleged haddistributed 200 sports utility van (SUVs) Jeeps to politicalassociates because of his ambition to contest the 2011 governorshipelection as one of the sponsors of the lawmakers.
"These people have infiltrated the governor's security system andhis personal workers...can you imagine that thousands of naira ispaid to some members of staff of the governor, including drivers bysome politicians.
"All this tension being raised in the state is all about 2011. Butit is only God that determines who gets what," Majekodunmiasserted.