The Oyo State Government has debunked the allegation of the Peoples Democratic Party that the state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has 1,000 aides.
The state government said the allegation was a reflection of the absurd desperation of the party to mislead the people of Oyo State.
According to a statement by Ajimobi’s Special Adviser, Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, the governor was described as one of the most frugal in the history of the state and would rather conserve than fritter the wealth of the state on frivolities
The government explained that the fact that the PDP statement assumed that the aides of chairmen of local governments were aides of the state government demonstrates that the party is led by men who could not distinguish their right hands from the left.
“It is too elementary to know that the state government is different from the local government. It is a shame that at the level of its leadership in the South West ,the PDP does not understand this elementary difference,” the government said.
The statement wondered if the PDP had yet to recover from the trauma of its grand ouster from the Government House in the South West that it was confusing Oyo State with the PDP-controled states in parts of the country where state governments employ thousands of governor’s aides.
The statement added: “When this government took over, one of the vestiges of decadence it inherited was the high number of aides of the governor.
“The governor pledged never to repeat the same blunder.
“Appointments in the government have been based on areas of need to actualise the agenda of the government to restore, transform and reposition Oyo State from the pit of decadence that the (former Governor Adebayo Alao) Akala government had left it.”
The state government alleged that the PDP was the engine room of destabilisation that is fueling the impasse between government and the splinter group of labour in the state, adding: “The public will recall that there is no shred of difference in the language and word ordering of the splinter group in the labour workforce which had earlier sent out the allegation and the PDP allegation.
“If before now we had any doubt about the unholy alliance between the PDP, which was booted out by our people at the polls, and the disgruntled group in the labour workforce, this alliance has now been established.”
According to the government, the Oyo State Government has commissioners and aides whose number and remuneration were approved by the state House of Assembly and their remuneration as stipulated by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, wondering whether it was not extreme naivety for the PDP to attribute to the state government aides of the 33 chairmen of local governments.
The statement added: “We realise that it is their stock in trade to whip up sentiments via outright lies, set the people against government, so that they could have a deceitful inroad into their hearts.
“But there is also honesty in opposition politics and the people recognise the history of these peddlers of falsehood.
“We are alarmed at this wicked lie.
“It is political subterfuge that marked PDP rule in the South West before its disgraceful ouster.
“Ajimobi is one of the most prudent and frugal leaders Oyo State has ever had since its creation.
“If not wickedness, how could the PDP say that the aides of local government chairmen are Ajimobi’s aides?
“Throughout Nigeria, Ajimobi has one of the most compact commissioners and aides as approved by the state House of Assembly and the amount paid to aides of the governors are as approved by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.”
The government then cautioned the PDP to always make truth its watchword, adding: “The government of Oyo State is not averse to a critical opposition but this must be done without deceiving the people.
“We also know that their own concept of opposition is to destabilise the state and turn labour against government but we are mindful of the profound depth of the people of Oyo State and they will decipher truth from falsehood.”
The Oyo State government said the state PDP was apparently confusing the former government it ran with the present government.
It said: “The ordinary people of Oyo State know that between the government they ran and the present one, there is a world of difference.
“Their government, during its drunken-sailor rule of our state, had its runners derisively nicknamed ATM for their frivolous spending of government money.
“We are mindful of our heritage and will not squander the people’s money on the altar of politics.”