Former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja has written to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, seeking a retraction of his alleged refund of N500 million to the coffers of the state government from the proceeds of government shares sales during his tenure.
Ladoja, who is the governorship candidate of Accord, also threatened to sue Ajimobi if he failed to do so and apologise within seven days.
But the former governor, in a newspaper advertorial on Tuesday, denied the refund and challenged Ajimobi to prove his claim. He also threatened to sue the governor.
In response, Ajimobi published all the correspondence between the government and the EFCC as well as the cheques with which Ladoja and others made the refund in an advertorial on Wednesday.
Ladoja’s letter, through his lawyer, Biodun Abdu-Raheem, reads: “For the umpteenth time, our client denies in its entirety the allegation by your government that he made the refund to the EFCC.
“Our client demands of you to make available any document directly tending to show that he made such payments and for the purpose alleged, that is, plea bargaining.
“We reiterate that none of the documents published so far substantiates the fact that our client is directly involved in the allegation. We wish to note that going by the contents of your letters exhibited in the said publications, that is, 6th September, 2013; November 2013; 26th November, 2013 and 9th January, 2014
“There is nothing to show that as at 10th January, 2014, when the last letter was said to have been received by the EFCC and till date that your request for “revalidation”, “repatriation” and “release” as variously requested by your government in your said letters have been acceded to or granted by the EFCC.
“We also note that all the aforementioned letters are at your instance and none was at the instance of the EFCC in order to know that any of your requests was granted at all. Could it have been that the non-inclusion of the EFCC’s letters was a deliberate act or omission on the part of government?
“Drawing from the above, it is very clear from your last letter dated 9th January, 2014 that the government was at best still pursuing the revalidation, repatriation and release of the cheques and their money value as at that date.
“How come then that the cheques which were yet to be revalidated as of January, 2014 bore various dates in November, 2013 and presumed to have been cashed same period? This scenario raises more questions than it actually answers.
“Your Excellency, we have the authority of our client to specifically request you to produce to the reading public the paper where our client ‘spelt out how he spent the proceeds of Oyo State money’, particularly the shares of his wives, children, cronies and himself.
“Furthermore, we hereby demand of your government to produce the said papers as alleged, the approval of EFCC that our client made the refund of N500 million as alleged, the EFCC approval of repatriation of the sum of money within seven days from the receipt of this letter or in the alternative a retraction of the said offending publication and letter of apology addressed to our client and published in the newspapers.
“Take notice sir, that failure to act as requested above, we have the instruction of our client to seek redress in court.”
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