Governor Akeredolu sacks Deputy Governor’s media aides

The Governor of Ondo State Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has sacked all the media aides attached to his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and no reason provided as at the time of filing this report on Tuesday.

Penpushing reports that this was made known in a statement issued by Akeredolu’s Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, adding that they are to submit all government properties in their possession to the Acting Permanent Secretary, Office of the Deputy Governor.

The statement said the affected aides include the Press Secretary to the Governor, Kenneth Odusola; Special Assistant to Governor (New Media) Okunniga Oladipupo; and Special Assistant to the Governor (Photography) Abayomi Samson Adefolalu.

“All media aides appointed by the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, and seconded to the office of the Deputy Governor, have been relieved of their appointments with immediate effect’, the statement declared.

‘They are to submit all government properties in their possession to the Acting Permanent Secretary, Office of the deputy Governor. Similarly, the press crew attached to the office of the deputy governor has been disbanded’.

‘Consequently, all members of the press crew are to report back to their various ministries and stations. Equally, the Ministry of Information and Orientation is directed to provide adequate coverage for the activities of the Deputy’s Governor office henceforth’, Olatunde wrote

Penpushing further reports that it is recalled that Akeredolu returned to the country last Thursday from Germany where he went for a medical vacation which lasted for three months, expressing optimism that he would complete his term despite the health challenges

The Deputy Governor, however, in a related development, on Tuesday while reacting to allegations of disloyalty as repeated against him said he never compromised his loyalty to the Governor throughout the period he (Akeredolu) was away on medical leave in Germany.

Penpushing also reports that Aiyedatiwa who was the Acting Governor while his boss was on medical vacation explained in a statement by his media aide Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson, that the allegation were lies

The Deputy Governor said in the statement made available to journalists that the allegation was fabricated to dent his reputation, stressing that it was important for him to disabuse minds of the populace against the cooked-up allegations

‘These lies would have been ignored but we owe it a duty to prevent the public from being deceived into believing the same falsehoods being repeated and recycled in different forms by those whose sole intention is to soil the image of the man who they see as a threat to their political interests’, he said.

‘We need to remind the public that this is a continuation of the blackmail started by these same characters some months ago, with false stories planted in some media outlets against the Deputy Governor’, the statement reads.

‘However, since those lies did not yield the result they envisaged, the blackmailers have returned with fake stories about disloyalty, aimed at causing disaffection between him and the Governor’, the statement added

Penpushing reports that the Deputy Governor said those sponsoring the rumours feel threatened by his profile, his relationship with the Governor and the goodwill he enjoys with the  stakeholders and residents of the state.

‘Many stakeholders have commended the Deputy Governor for the way he handled State affairs while he was Acting Governor, despite all his detractors did to provoke him into taking drastic actions, avoided their booby traps and they tripped on their own banana peels’, the statement emphasised.

‘Against their expectations, the Deputy Governor was in constant touch with his principal on official State matters, so there was no gap between them. How can the man who was constantly in touch with his boss and had prepared for his arrival to attend some other critical state matters, including the signing of the LCDA Law after passage by the State Assembly be surprised by that same arrival?’

‘Those behind the falsehoods being peddled around had planned that these concocted lies about disloyalty and impeachment would irritate Mr. Governor and his family so as to land a devastating blow on the Deputy Governor ahead of the coming governorship election in the State’.

‘Now that Mr. Governor is back and has started working, the Deputy Governor remains calm and committed to the duties of his office and unruffled by the lies of desperate politicians and their agents. The Deputy Governor remains loyal to his Principal and no amount of fabricated lies will change that.”

Penpushing further reports that it is recalled that Akeredolu fell out with his former Deputy, Agboola Ajayi, in his first term shortly before the general elections in 2020, the conflict which was traced to Ajayi’s ambition to run for the Governor when his boss was gearing up for reelection to a second term

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