Breaking: Akande collected kickback from contractor to finance his re-election — Oyinlola

A former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has accused his predecessor, Chief Bisi Akande, of collecting kickback from a contractor who handled the Governor’s Office Complex.

Oyinlola said this in part in reaction to allegations levelled against him by Akande in his book: “My Participations.”

Oyinlola, in the reaction made available to The Eagle Online on Thursday, said some of the issues raised by the former Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress were also in his own upcoming autobiography.

He said: |I have just read a part of the recently released autobiography of my predecessor as governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, which concerns me.

“He levelled some allegations against me and also made certain allusions and insinuations.

“My forthcoming autobiography has already taken care of all the issues.

“Notwithstanding that, however, I have the following preliminary replies to some of the issues he raised where he mentioned my name.

“This is for the benefit of Nigerians who may be interested in hearing my own immediate side of the story.”

Speaking specifically on the Governor’s Office, popularly known as: “Bola Ige House,” the chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party said: “Chief Akande said I wrongly accused him of corruption in the construction of the Governor’s Office (Bola Ige House).

“I did not level any false charges against him.

“I came into office in May 2003 and discovered that the Governor’s Office complex which Akande commissioned for use after he lost the election was really not completed.

“The state government asked the contractor to come back to site and complete the works, more so when evidence in government accounts showed that he had been paid.

“But the project consultant shocked everyone with his claim that part of the payment was taken back to finance the 2003 re-election bid of Chief Akande.

“The consultant said the contractor could not go back to work unless he was paid his full dues.

“One of Akande’s own appointees confessed collecting money from this contractor for Akande’s re-election.

“I consulted Chief Akande on this.

“He denied having any deal with the contractor and the consultant.

“Some people were subsequently taken to court on a seven-count criminal charge.

“Stakeholders in the state and Alhaji Arisekola Alao later intervened.

“I have the details of who collected how much in my forthcoming book.”