The Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has revealed that there is a move by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to shield his family from investigation.
According to the PDP, the Ondo State Anti-corruption Bill tagged the ‘bill for a law to establish the Ondo State Public Complaints, Financial Crime and Anti-corruption Commission and others connected thereto 2021’ had been forwarded to the state assembly to that effect.
The party had on Wednesday listed no fewer than eight proxy companies allegedly owned by Akeredolu’s wife, Betty, and son, Babajide, to corner contracts and siphon funds from the state.
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In a statement on Thursday issued by the Publicity Secretary of PDP in the state, Kennedy Peretei, the party alleged that the bill was crafted to give exclusive powers to the proposed anti-graft agency in matters of corruption in the state.
It was gathered that the commission upon take-off will take over the investigation of all anti-corruption and financial crime cases involving the finances and assets of the state government and will be vested with powers to investigate any public servant within the jurisdiction of the state.
The party added that the intentions behind the institutional framework to stamp out corruption in the state remains a huge concern.
“The Rotimi Akeredolu government has in several ways demonstrated that it is irredeemably soaked in the sea of corruption, especially his family. He can, therefore, not go behind the door to institute laws as a subterfuge for his activities to circumvent the law.
“The powers given to the Attorney General of the state to regulate the operations of the Commission, if the bill is passed all point to a subtle legal cover to do more unthinkable damage to the treasury of the state,” he said.
“Given the antecedents of David Oloyelogun and the Ondo State 9th Assembly, there is nothing to expect other than a speedy passage of this bill. But we owe it a duty to inform the Ondo State people of this new move to provide cover for criminality.”
