The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has accused the family of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of cornering the resources meant for the development of the state.

This development, the opposition party said made it difficult for the government to pay the gratuity of retired staff of the state-owned newspaper outfit, Owena Press and the 13 salary arrears of the staff of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO).

But the government through the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Donald Ojogo, said the opposition party was engaging in frivolous criticism of the Akeredolu-led government.

In a statement by the PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kennedy Peretei, the party said the government should be more concerned about the welfare of the citizens instead of the frivolities embarked upon by the family of the governor, Akeredolu.

Besides, the PDP accused Betty, wife of the governor, his son, Babajide, daughter, Teniola and her husband, Michael Olatunde of allegedly pilfering the resources of the state under phony projects and activities.

Peretei had said 13 companies were registered by the first family on assumption of Akeredolu in 2017, and these companies were used to defraud the people of the state.

According to him, checks from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Abuja, showed that all the companies have the same or related Directors and Secretary, saying the companies have been used by the first family to receive contracts from state ministries and departments.

His words: “A few months ago, the Ondo State Government placed embargo on all forestry activities. This was done so as to hand over all forest operations to Babajide Akeredolu. When the operations were restored, a new Sheriff was already in town. One Ilesanmi Brainbox was mandated to collect a handsome sum of N500,000 from the operators everyday and paid directly to Babajide’s bank account.

“Even if Ondo State was a territory conquered by Akeredolu, he should have acted with some modicum of decency. The widely advertised and celebrated Sunshine Countdown Concert was anchored by Micheal Olatunde, Akeredolu’s son-in law. The Ondo State Ministry of Information parted with a whooping N500 million of taxpayers’ money.

“There was no committee set up for the event, no State Executive Council approval was gotten for it. Just hurriedly put together to patronise Teniola, Akeredolu’s daughter. Everywhere you look in the state, what you find is Akeredolu, his wife, children and their spouses as though on rampage, looting blindly.

“The world of grandeur and opulence in which these people live is in direct contrast with the lives of the people of the state. Retired workers of the state-owned Owena Press Limited, publishers of Hope Newspaper, had recently in an emotional letter addressed to the governor over the weekend, appealed for the payment of their gratuity.

“Around the same time, workers of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo took to the streets, protesting 13 months of unpaid salaries. The workers lamented that, while they were hungry, Akeredolu and his cronies were erecting new buildings in Owo, right before their eyes. In the same South-West Nigeria, Oyo State workers got 13th month pay in the month of December. The explanations of lean resources of the state can no longer suffice.

“Mrs. Betty Akeredolu, on her part has ensured that no board is constituted for the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC). All the BEMORE and FOWOSO projects are fully funded by OSOPADEC. Short of directly signing cheques, Betty is the Alpha and Omega of OSOPADEC.

“The Commission has not executed a single project since the inception of the Akeredolu tenure. While the 18 local government areas of Ondo State contributed N18 million for third FOWOSO Summit last month, OSOPADEC paid Betty more than N50 million for the Summit.

“Only a heartless person can undertake this kind of blind looting in the face of penury that is everywhere. The greed displayed by the first family and their cohorts is only reminiscent of Ali Baba and the 40 thieves, a folk tale from the One Thousand and One Nights, added to the collection in the 18th Century by French Translator Antoine Galland.”

Ojogo in his reaction said a responsible government would not descend into the arena of perfidy and frivolities triggered by idleness, to trade words with the opposition.

His words: “This is not the first time the opposition party will cry in this mindless manner. Of course, you don’t except a child not to cry when flogged. The PDP must be seen to be saying something, at least. We can only sympathise with them even though we won’t share in their self-inflicted pains.

“Their assertions in respect of 13 companies they claimed were registered by the governor’s family in 2017 without evidence exposes the juvenile and pedestrian composure of the PDP. It is a sheer waste of precious media space to assert without evidence to prove. We challenge PDP to publish the names of the directors of those companies as well as the names of those companies.

“On the alleged expenditure of N500 million by the Ondo State Ministry of Information on the countdown show to herald 2022, it’s not just laughable but presents the PDP as most unserious. The inconsistency in their lies is legendary as their first release had indicated N200 million in respect of the same subject. The public deserves to know more. Therefore, PDP must hurry to report this to the EFCC for investigation.

“While it is clear that the insidious naked dance of the PDP manifests the height of idleness and political depression, the party’s persistence in the display of uncanny posture on the path of unbelievable lies calls to question whether or not PDP respects the Ondo State public at all. No serious public takes such beer parlour talks seriously.”