The Ogun state Commissioner for Sports, Dr Oluwadare Kehinde has taken a swipe of on an online publication which alleged him of disparaging former Governor of the state and All Progressives Chieftain, Chief Olusegun Osoba at an interactive session with members of the League of Registered Political Parties who paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abeokuta, the state capital.
In a press release he personally signed and made available to ogundaily.com/ on Monday, March 16, 2020, Oluwadare said ordinarily, he wouldn’t have dignified the said publication with a response, but as a cultured Yoruba man who has high regard for people like Chief Osoba, he had no choice but to put things in proper perspectives.
Oluwadare disclosed that he had no time said those words ascribed to him by the publication. He however described the former Governor as a widely respected elder statesman of both national and international reckoning, who left an enviable record of achievement during his tenure in the state.
The full text of the press release is presented below:
Re: Ogun State Sports Commissioner Mocks Osoba, Say's He's a Bad Leader, Failed as Ogun Governor: REJOINDER
My attention has been drawn to a piece of news with the above caption, making the rounds, especially on the cyberspace, nay the social media.
Ordinarily, with the seriousness the business of Governance has assumed under the present administration in Ogun State, vis a vis the loads of work at my disposal, one would not have dignified the said publication with any kind of response.
However, as a well brought up Yoruba son, and a proud indigene of Ogun State, who is equally a good student of history, utterances quoted in the inaccurate news report as touching on the person of our highly revered leaders, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, cannot be left unattended to with proper context and perspective brought to bare.
At no time in the course of the interractive session where the said statement was erroneously picked up from, was the person of Aremo Olusegun Osoba maligned, rubbished or disdained. This can only be the unfortunate wish of the publisher(s).
It is quite evident that the ulterior motive of the online news medium (media) is just to attract traffic to their "cob-website", this should however not be at the detriment of revered people's dignity and reputation.
The purported statement was a discussion taken out of context.
Our Father, Aremo Olusegun Osoba is one of the few nationally acknowledged and respected elders statemen, of both national and international reckoning. An Icon who has left an enviable records of achievements both in the public service and his professional career. Baba is well known for his great favourable disposition to tge emergence of youths in the positions of power and authority, of which my humble self, as the serving Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sport have benefited immensely from.
I am also not in doubt that Baba Olusegun Osoba as a foremost Journalist will not hesitate to regard the publication as one of the sensational sides of modern day journalism.
I hereby urge the good people of Ogun State particularly the large community of Youths to discountenance the said malicious report.
Not withstanding however, neccesary legal steps will be taken against the concerned online medium if no retraction of the story is attempted within the shortest possible time.
I wish our beloved Aremo Olusegun Osoba many more days and years of fulfilment, in health and useful service to our fatherland.
Signed
Dr. Oluwadare Kehinde.
HC. Youth & Sports
