ABEOKUTA – The Ogun State Government has responded to a press statement from the Media Office of Senator Gbenga Daniel, calling on the former governor to comply with a “lawful directive” instead of “dragging Governor Abiodun’s name to score cheap political points.”
In a statement signed by Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, the Ogun State Government addressed the allegations made by Daniel’s media office that Governor Dapo Abiodun was engaged in “political persecution” and had issued “Quit, Demolition Notices on Daniel’s Properties.”
“The attention of the Ogun State Government has been drawn to a press statement issued by the Media Office of the Senator representing Ogun East and a former Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, on Saturday, August 9 and titled ‘Political Persecution as Governor Abiodun Issues Quit, Demolition Notices on Daniel’s Properties in Ogun State.'” The statement began.
The Ogun State Government condemned Daniel’s statement as being “written in extremely bad taste and with intent to cause disaffection and foment chaos in the state.” The government also denied that the notices were a “clear demonstration of ‘malicious and vindictive abuse of power, hiding behind a newly enacted law retroactively to target a political opponent.'”
“Nothing can be further from the truth,” the statement declared. “Of course, in what has become a familiar pattern, Senator Daniel and his Media Office have been ascribing political motives to a routine procedure, suggesting that they have something to hide and do not mind using underhanded tactics to achieve their sinister objectives.”
According to the government, the notices served on Daniel’s properties are part of a broader “urban renewal” initiative aimed at auditing existing developments in GRAs (Government Reserved Areas) across the state. This initiative, which started in Abeokuta’s Ibara GRA, is now being extended to Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode GRAs.
“This initiative involves the auditing of existing developments within these areas to determine the permit status of all types of developments, including houses, schools, hospitals and other commercial buildings,” the statement explained. “Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s building happens to be within the Sagamu GRA and among those that were served notices as required under the Town Planning Law and Regulation of Ogun State. Many other structures were also similarly served.”
The government urged Daniel to “present his planning permit and land title to the relevant government Agency office for verification within the time specified in the notices rather than resorting to cheap blackmail.”
The statement also questioned why Daniel and his team “jumped the gun” by alleging that the government was targeting him specifically. “That is a barefaced lie,” the government stated. “The Government must carry out audits and for someone who has been in office as Governor and who is now a Senator to be crying wolf is highly unfortunate. It seems that Senator Gbenga Daniel and his crew will do anything they can to drag the name of Governor Dapo Abiodun into every issue imaginable just to score cheap political points. This is not a hallmark of statesmanship…it is a dark tactic.”
The Ogun State Government concluded by emphasising that “Nobody is bigger than the State. Senator Gbenga Daniel is distinguished no doubt, but he is not bigger than Ogun State. He should submit himself unreservedly to the same laws he once swore twice to uphold.”
The government advised the former governor to “refrain from elevating every issue of his contact with government institutions to a personal vendetta against Governor Abiodun, who obviously holds him in high esteem.” The statement ended by asserting that if Daniel’s buildings are in conformity with government regulations, “there should not be any problem.”
