By Adams Akorede
Former Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state on Sunday justified alleged missing government vehicles in the twilight of his administration.
Ajimobi who spoke with journalists after Eid-el-Kabir prayer celebration, asked his successor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, to look inward and examine civil servants for those vehicles recovered from mechanic workshops and other obscure places
Makinde’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa had claimed recovery of 19 vehicles taken away by aides of Ajimobi.
Many of the vehicles, according to him, were recovered in mechanic workshops and road sides.
Sepaking on the allegations over the matter, Ajimobi said that the officials paid for the vehicles based on decision taken by the government.
The former governor said that there are papers written on it, urging the incumbent administration to beam is searchlight on civil servants on those vehicle alleged to have been recovered from mechanic workshops.
“When you are in government, there are policies and decisions to be taken. We took the decision that anybody using vehicles at the time should take it away and pay. This is also practiced by the federal and other state governments.
“When I got to office, I didn’t see any vehicle. My brother, former Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala took his vehicles away and I did not talk.
“There are civil servants who steal whenever politicians are leaving government. Let them go and check those civil servants.”
He alleged that there were no cotton, furniture chairs and electronic equipments in the government house when he moved into it, saying it was because Alao-Akala left government few days before his resumption.
Ajimobi said that everything at the government house and office were intact because he worked till the last day of his administration.
On insecurity, the former governor described Makinde as very lucky because of the already existing security structure bequeathed to him by his administration.
He called on Makinde to leverage on the many good things his administration did, urging him to make amends where the made mistakes.
“We thank God that he has started seeing some of the good things we did. No government in the state has ever done as much as we have done. This does not mean we did not make mistakes,” he said.
Ajimobi said that he would take the decisions he took while in office if he had the opportunity of being the governor again.
The former governor appealed to aggrieved members of APC to reconcile for the good of the party, saying his only regret was trying to be perfect in an imperfect world.
“There are many of our members who genuinely have reasons to be angry but 90 percent of those angry have no reasons except that they were not appointed.
“The houses, name and titles some of these people are using today, they got it by working with us. Irrespective of whatever grievances, let us come together in the spirit of eid-el Kabir.
“Those I believe have genuine reasons to be angry, I have spoken to them. Some, I will not speak to them, they must come back,” he said.
Ajimobi said that it was the son who begs his father even when the father offends him, saying no matter how bad, a father would not seek blessings from God on the name of his son in heaven.
According to him, “Even Jesus Christ in his lifetime referred to his father, God severally in the bible.”
The former governor prayed that Makinde succeeds, adding that the people stood to gain nothing from his failure.
“I pray that Makinde succeeds and I will support him to succeed anytime. In supporting him, we are helping the state,” he said.
