By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Kinsmen of the Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu at the weekend asked him to stop maligning Governor Abiola Ajimobi with his untrue allegations as contained in his recent petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, APC National Chairman and Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
Speaking at a press conference in Ibadan attended by the Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Saki West Local Government, Alhaji Kareem Adegoke and his counterpart from Wewe Local Council Development Area; National President, Saki Parapo Alhaji Sule Lawal and the Akeweje of Saki, Chief Raimi Akande, the Minister’s Kinsmen from Saki also raised alarm of an alleged threat by Barrister Shittu to demolish the N20m fire service station in Saki
Chairman Caretaker Committee Saki West local government, Alhaji Kareem Adegoke declared that the press briefing was to put the records straight and let Nigerians knows that all what was contained in the Barrister Shittu’s petition to President Buhari,Chief Oyegun and Asiwaju Tinubu were not the true position of things in Saki and in Oyo APC.
Alhaji Adegoke stated that Barrister Shittu failed to abide by the norms in the All Progressives Congress (APC) which allows for passing one’s grievances through the due process but resolved into acting otherwise
According to the Saki West local government Catetaker Committee Chairman, there is the need for the Minister of Communications to stop fighting a war of blame as he cannot allow his personal interest to override the interest of the people of Saki, his hometown as well as other towns and villages in the Oke-Ogun area.
On the alleged threat by the Communications to demolish the Fire Service station in Saki, Alhaji Adegoke said the alarm became necessary before the Minister use his ‘power’ to demolish the over N20m fire service station aimed to serve the needs of people of Saki, Iseyin, Tede, Igboho, Okeho and other towns within Oke-Ogun zone during emergencies.
The Chairman while speaking on the ownership of the land which the Minister said he was building a Computer Based Test (CBT) Centre declared that the land had been allocated to Fire Service for the construction of a fire station and that the land actually belonged to Saki West Local Government and not Barrister Shittu as claimed in his petition.
Alhaji Adegoke stressed that Barrister Shittu cannot be claiming
the ownership of the land which he said the Minister does not have any document or title to claim ownership of the land,saying, “the land that has been given to Fire Service already, it was not given to him, no document. Bayo has no any titled document, no C of O, no letter of consent from the fire service.”
“The Fire Service came to Ibadan and reported that the land given to them has been given to Bayo Shittu to build ICT centre, that is how the trouble started. I as the Chairman of the Local Government, invited eminent persons, noble persons, we deliberated on this issue, it was agreed that the fire service is important, so also the ICT. But it is not meaningful to site a fire station outside the town. Fire station should be centrally located. That was the argument. We said we should look for another piece of land and give to Bayo Shittu, we should allow fire station to construct their station. That was the agreement. Two days after, Bayo went to court asking them to set aside the construction. The fire service is not joined in the suit, they are constructing their station.”
Alhaji Adegoke added “that land, Bayo Shittu has no development on it, no survey, no deed, nothing. So the fire service just went there to construct. Nothing was demolish on that land.” saying, ” now, he swore an oath of allegiance to present the office as a public servant, is he now using his personal interest to override public interest that he want to have the land at all cost to override public interest?
Speaking at the press conference, the Akeweje of Saki, Chief Raimi Akande, declared that the aim of the press conference was “to put the record straight and not to blackmail the Minister.” saying, “we are not here to destroy anybody, we are not here to blackmail anybody”.
“Bayo Shittu is my brother, I contributed to his education. As a retired permanent secretary, you know my take home monthly, I am not contesting for any post or looking for commissioner at my age. But we assure you that our coming here is not to blackmail anybody. We are not here to disowned him, yes, he was given an award by Parapo to recognise him, he is not the only one given awards. Infact the fire service station is not for Saki alone, it is for Oke-Ogun area.
“Our stand is that we are looking for amicable settlement. You know, when two elephants are fighting, it is the grasses that suffer. We want ICT and the Fire Service Station, that is why we have to cry to you people.Two, we expect our son to say that I give this land to you and I will look for another one. Three, we have told the Chairman to allocate another land for him which he has done.”
