Since he became the Ogun State governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel has sustained a frosty relationship with his predecessor, Aremo Olusegun Osoba.  |
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By Babajide Kolade-Otitoju
Aremo Olusegun Osoba, two-time governor of Ogun state, is a proud Egba man. He is proud of his achievements not just as a journalist, but as a former governor of the Gateway State. But Osoba, his aides admitted, is not a happy man. So displeased is Osoba with the way Otunba Gbenga Daniel has been running Ogun state that he has not visited Abeokuta, the state capital, for over two years.
Last week, in different chats with the magazine, aides of Osoba’s, who declined to grant an interview on the man who supplanted him in office, claimed the last time Osoba visited Abeokuta was during the coronation of Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo as Alake of Egbaland.
But why would a man avoid his homestead the way Osoba has done? His aides say governor Daniel left him without a choice. “Every time something negative happens to him, he blames it on Osoba, so the Aremo would rather keep away,” said an aide of the former Ogun governor. He mentioned what happened on 19 October 2004 to buttress his assertion. On that day, students were demonstrating in Ilaro against dismal power supply as well as non-payment of bursary. But governor Daniel’s wife, Olufunke, was on her way to the town for a ceremony when she got a radio message that the students were spoiling for a fight. Indeed, her convoy ran into the demonstration and was stoned by the demonstrators. Hours later, Daniel rushed to the area and accused Osoba of trying to kill Funke.
The accusation was said to have deeply hurt Osoba, as Olufunke Daniel is Osoba’s distant cousin. That was not the end of the trouble for Osoba. Daniel allegedly sent the Ogun State Police Command after him. Osoba refused to be arrested by policemen from the Command, but gave himself up to men of the Zone 2 Command in Lagos. He was briefly detained and accused of plotting to assassinate Governor Daniel. He eventually got a bail to the tune of N50 million.
Aides testified that Osoba is still seething with rage over his arrest, at Daniel’s instance, as he was neither charged to court nor the bail bond discharged. “Osoba thinks he deserves an apology from Daniel, the same way ex-Governor Osunbor apologised to Adams Oshiomhole when he was accused of killing Carlos Enoma, an ex-Commissioner for Information in Edo State, only for it to be discovered that Enoma had, indeed, died in the bosom of his girlfriend in an hotel,” an Osoba aide told TheNEWS. The aide noted that a report on the alleged assassination plan written by the Zone 2 Police Command indicated nothing like that happened.
Osoba’s allies also accused governor Daniel of setting out to probe his predecessor immediately he took office without valid grounds. He reportedly caused the Ogun State Assembly to probe Osoba’s administration, accusing it of buying two studio cameras for N140m. For this, the House invited the Commissioner for Finance under Osoba, who argued comprehensively that what was purchased was a full-fledged studio capable of taking two giant cameras. The state assembly recommended that the matter be referred to the Attorney-General of the state and the security agencies. However, till date, Osoba has not faced prosecution over the matter. His aides said that is understandable: Daniel and his people merely lied against Osoba, as the studio has been functional, even generating good money for the state. TheNEWS’ investigations showed that the same kind of studio was supplied to Lagos Television, Channel 8.
Osoba’s aides maintained Daniel routinely lies against their principal. A year after he took office he caused security operatives to investigate Osoba, accusing him of planning to disrupt his first anniversary at a time Osoba was in Poland to attend an event of the International Press Institute. And when Osoba allegedly swore at ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo during a meeting at Imeko, Daniel allegedly presented a video of the proceedings to Obasanjo, with the intention of showing that not only was Osoba undermining the government, he also deeply dislikes Obasanjo as a person. An enraged Obasanjo was said to have summoned Osoba to Otta to explain himself and what the matter was between him and Daniel.
Osoba’s aides accused Daniel of removing signposts and commissioning plaques erected at the site of projects executed by the former, replacing them with giant Daniel billboards. Again, the aides claimed, when Governor Daniel could not provide the state with functional and regular water supply, which had been available from the colonial era, he looked in the direction of Osoba and cast him as a saboteur. The former Ogun governor was accused of damming water meant for the entire Abeokuta Government Reserved Area. Government water meant for Osoba’s house was subsequently disconnected.
Though Osoba was unwilling to talk about it last week, it is suspected that the relationship between him and governor Daniel has been worsened by Daniel’s alleged refusal to regularly pay Osoba’s pension. According to the Ogun State House of Assembly Fourth Legislative Enrolled House Bill No 31, 2003, “any person who has held office as Governor or Deputy Governor shall be entitled to pension for life at a rate equivalent to the annual salary of the incumbent Governor or Deputy Governor.”
An avid watcher of Ogun state politics suggested that Osoba could be paying “for his perceived hostility towards his governor”. For example, it is said that Osoba never attends any of the governor’s functions. But an Osoba aide retorted that “there is no law that says a former governor must be seen at every government function. Out of spitefulness he does not pay Osoba’s pension, but does Margaret Thatcher go to Downing Street? How many functions of George W. Bush do you see his dad or Clinton attend?”
There are indications, however, that Otunba Gbenga Daniel will want Osoba to think he means well. On 12 December 2008, Chief Osoba got a letter referenced MSD/NHA/004/1/118 from the then Minister of Special Duties, Godsday Peter Orubebe, inviting him as recipient to the 2008 Nigerian National Honours Award. The investiture was billed to take place on 22 December. The meeting at which the decision to give Osoba a national award took place on 10 December.
However, Osoba and his aides were shocked when a congratulatory letter dated 12 October, 2008 was sent to Osoba by governor Gbenga Daniel. Though the tone of Daniel’s letter was ambiguous, Osoba’s allies believed he (Daniel) wants to take credit for the honour done the Aremo by President Yar’Adua. But as far as they are concerned, Daniel could not have recommended Osoba for a national award given the battles he has waged against Osoba over the years.
What makes the whole saga intriguing is that the Daniel congratulatory letter to Osoba was despatched by DHL on 16 December, 2008, which would mean it was sent to Osoba more than two months after Daniel wrote it! Indeed, the manner the Ogun state government advertised the congratulatory message indicated that they were keen to take credit for the honour and cast Osoba as needlessly hostile to an administration that wishes him well. Whether or not Daniel and his people recommended Osoba for the national award will be made clear in the fullness of time. But in the meantime, Osoba and his friends and aides are in the least so convinced.
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OGBENI N AIJA
14 January 2009 03:17IF ANY ONE SAY THAT OSOBA IS PROUD OF HIS ACHIEVMENT ,IT IS AN EMPTY STATEMENT FULL OF FALACIES.WHAT DID OSOBA ACHIEVE WHEN HE WAS THE STATE GOVERNOR LET HIM ASK HIMSELF.AS A SO CALLED EGBA HIGH CHIEF AND TWO TIME STATE GOVERNOR WHAT DID HE DO TO IMPROOVE AND DEVELOP HIS TOWN ABEOKUTA THE STATE CAPITAL .WE SHOULD STOP DECIEVING OURSELVES OSOBA CAN NEVER MATCH DANIEL WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPING AND TRANSFORMING THE STATE. ABEOKUTA HAS NEVER IN THE HISTORY WORN THE LOOK OF A STATE CAPITAL NOT UNTIL DANIEL BECOME THE STATE GOVERNOR,ABEOKUTA HAS EVER BEEN THE MOST BACKWARD STATE CAPITAL IN THE COUNTRY ,SO WHAT IS OSOBA’S PRIDE.OSOBA SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO DANIEL FOR TRANSFORMING AND DEVELOPING HIS TOWN FOR HIM,A PROJECT HE OSOBA REFUSED TO DO WHEN HE WAS THE STATE GOVERNOR FOR TWO TIMES.ABEOKUTA AND IT ENVIRONS CAN NOT MATCH THE IJEBU AND REMO TOWNS WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPMENT.INSTEAD OF SOSBA TO BE CRYING , WEEPING AND REGRETING FOR THE POOR STATE OF THE EGBA TOWNS WHICH HE DELIBRATELY REFUSED AND FAILED TO DEVELOP WHEN HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITYES HE IS ATTACKING DANIEL.IF OSOBA DID NOT DO IT IS ANOTHER MAN THAT WILL COME AND DO IT FOR HIM? OSOBA HAS LOST CREDENCE AMONG THE EGBAS AND OGUN STATE PEOPLE.IF ANYONE WATCH THE LAST LIVE [TELEPHONE]PROGRAME ON OGBC/TV DURING HIS LAST DAYS IN THE OFFICE YOU WILL KNOW WHAT AM SAYING.SENTIMENT AND POLTICS ASIDEOSOBA SHOULD EVER REMAIN GRATEFUL TO DANIEL FOR HIS GREAT ACHIEVEMENT IN THE STATE AND INDEED ABEOKUTA.
OGBENI N AIJA
14 January 2009 03:22IF ANY ONE SAY THAT OSOBA IS PROUD OF HIS ACHIEVMENT ,IT IS AN EMPTY STATEMENT FULL OF FALACIES.WHAT DID OSOBA ACHIEVE WHEN HE WAS THE STATE GOVERNOR LET HIM ASK HIMSELF.AS A SO CALLED EGBA HIGH CHIEF AND TWO TIME STATE GOVERNOR WHAT DID HE DO TO IMPROOVE AND DEVELOP HIS TOWN ABEOKUTA THE STATE CAPITAL .WE SHOULD STOP DECIEVING OURSELVES OSOBA CAN NEVER MATCH DANIEL WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPING AND TRANSFORMING THE STATE. ABEOKUTA HAS NEVER IN THE HISTORY WORN THE LOOK OF A STATE CAPITAL NOT UNTIL DANIEL BECOME THE STATE GOVERNOR,ABEOKUTA HAS EVER BEEN THE MOST BACKWARD STATE CAPITAL IN THE COUNTRY ,SO WHAT IS OSOBA’S PRIDE.OSOBA SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO DANIEL FOR TRANSFORMING AND DEVELOPING HIS TOWN FOR HIM,A PROJECT HE OSOBA REFUSED TO DO WHEN HE WAS THE STATE GOVERNOR FOR TWO TIMES.ABEOKUTA AND IT ENVIRONS CAN NOT MATCH THE IJEBU AND REMO TOWNS WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPMENT.INSTEAD OF SOSBA TO BE CRYING , WEEPING AND REGRETING FOR THE POOR STATE OF THE EGBA TOWNS WHICH HE DELIBRATELY REFUSED AND FAILED TO DEVELOP WHEN HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITIES HE IS ATTACKING DANIEL.IF OSOBA DID NOT DO IT IS ANOTHER MAN THAT WILL COME AND DO IT FOR HIM? OSOBA HAS LOST CREDENCE AMONG THE EGBAS AND OGUN STATE PEOPLE.IF ANYONE WATCH THE LAST LIVE [TELEPHONE]PROGRAME ON OGBC/TV DURING HIS LAST DAYS IN THE OFFICE YOU WILL KNOW WHAT AM SAYING.SENTIMENT AND POLITICS ASIDE OSOBA SHOULD EVER REMAIN GRATEFUL TO DANIEL FOR HIS GREAT ACHIEVEMENT IN THE STATE AND INDEED ABEOKUTA.
Femi
14 January 2009 15:35Where is Logic in the contribution above??
Non achievement of Osoba should not be an excuse for Daniel to engaged in free for -all fight .
There is no connection between the the two issues!
If Daniel perform so excellently, there will be no need to resulting to ballot snatching and election rigging in 2003!
Few could be deceived but not all !
If the performance was so fantastic in Abeokuta, there would be no need for Oba Gbadebo to make noise and the attendant insult he received from Daniel!
Think Well.
gyde dada
14 January 2009 17:54oshoba stil hold his head high among ogun indegine compare to this new government time will tell when comparing these 2 governments hope people like bode george would still be alive to make comment.
Tolu Afolabi
15 January 2009 12:34Ogbeni Naija God bless you
Femi Atanda
15 January 2009 19:47This testifies to the fact that OGD’s government is best described as “the government of liars, by liars and for liars”. Oshoba is a democrat extraordinaire. I refuse to be disuaded by the arguments of a contributor above; it is the trade mark of OGD’s singers of praise. Despite the meagre allocations given to both the State and its Local Governments, Oshoba still strived and performed beyond average. Do we hear of zero allocation to Local Government Councils again? When Oshoba was the Governor of Ogun State, zero allocation was the order of the day. Obasanjo, for reasons best known to him, deliberately starved the State and its Local Governments with funds. Even Obasanjo’s Abeokuta North Local Government was almost always recording monthly zero allocations. Despite that, the Local Government Council errected gate pillars to the entrances of the ingrate’s Ita-Eko house. Some people have short memories, but some of us still recall how water was flowing in Abeokuta and other towns in Ogun State, even Ijebu-Ode where water tankers used to feed fat. Today, even Abeokuta residents buy water from capitalists who have sunk bore holes. Projects executed by the Oshoba’s governments are still there. They stand out from the inferior projects undertaken by OGD. What would best be described as “Shagbeloju yoyo”. I remember that on the assumption of office of OGD in 2003, the greatest worry of PDP chieftains was whether OGD could surpass Oshoba’s outstanding performance. Well. He who buries his elder brother naked in the presence of his own younger ones should also expect the same treatment when he dies. OGD has been most rude to Oshoba.
OGBENI NAIJA
15 January 2009 22:45FEMI, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT NO PERSON COMES INTO POWER IN NIGERIA WITHOUT VIOLENCE BE IT MILITARY OR CIVILANS,SO WHO DID NOT FIGHT TO GET TO POWER IN NIGERIA.OH MAY BE YOU ARE THINKING THAT OSOBA DID NOT FIGHT TO GET TO POWER OR DID NOT FIGHT PEOPLE WHEN HE WAS IN POWER.IF YOU THINK SO GO AND ASK OSOBA IF HE WILL BE SINCERE,LET HIM TELL YOU THE TRUTH.MY PROBLEM WITH OSOBA IS THAT WHY DIDNT HE DEVELOP ABEOKUTA WHEN HE WAS THE GOVERNOR, WHY HAS HE NOW BECOME THE WEEPING AND CRYING BUSH BOY[EGBERE].LOOK LET ME TELL YOU THE IJEBUS WILL SOON GET THEIR STATE AND I WILL SEE WHAT WILL REMAIN FOR THE EGBAS.THE YEWA AWORI ARE AT THE MERCY OF GOD .THEY ARE ENJOYING CLOSENESS TO LAGOS WHICH IS BRINGING DEVELOPMENT TO THEIR PLACE. AND THEY ARE DOING PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR CONSTITUENCY.SOONEST BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT WILL PUSH THEM TO LAGOS,THEN OSOBA WILL CRY MORE.SO MY FRIEND FEMI STOP WEEPING WITH YOUR BROTHER OSOBA.OPPORTUNITY COMES BUT ONCE.
Abiodun Oyewole
16 January 2009 00:54who is this ogbeni naija that telling history that his fore fathers didnt know,he should kept his mouth shut if he has nothing tangible to say cos he is constituting nuisance on this site.Secondly,what f******ng development did f********ng Daniel did for Abeokuta.He is the worst governor that would ever produce cos i can said this that during Osoba Administration in Ogun State water was flowing round Abeokuta while it is an eye saw that you will scratch round the town to get good tap water to drink.Pls we re fed up with this Daniel fighting every body critisicing his govt cos this is part of governance and he should perform his duty although he was not elected but forced his way to reutrn to govt house so he should stop corrupting our youth with his sports commissioner(Bukola) in initiating them into cultism.
rev biodun akintayo abiodun
23 January 2009 16:48Osoba will remain an hero and a democrat per excellence, whats my broda ogbeni nija saying, well i feel ogbeni nija is entitle to his own opinion, but the truth is that aremo olusegun osaba can not be rubish by some small boys who dont hvae correct informationabout governance in ogun state.Aremo Osoba performed during his tenure, his achievement are there for everyone to see , thats if daniel will allow them to see it.My advice to Gov. daniel is that he should stop fighting everybody, he does not need it , i think Gov daniel needs to go for tutorial from asiwaju bola ahmed tinubu, to teach him how to play politics and win the heart of the people.PLs Aremo Osoba should be allow to be enough is enough of all this insult on osaba, osaba is not a just any man among the yorubas and even nigeria at large, Gov daniel should accord all the respect osaba deserve becos he should be told that he will not always be the governor of ogun state, and whatsoever a mans sows he will definetly reap…selah