The decision of the Ondo state government to launch an problem into the cause of the death of the former governor Rotimi Akeredolu has sparked off widespread controversy.
Recall that the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kayode Ajulo SAN, had said that some concerned groups and citizens within and outside the state had submitted petitions to the Ministry of Justice seeking the invocation of a coroner’s inquest.
Ajulo, said that the petitioners, whose identities he did not disclose, alleged that the widow of late Akeredolu, Betty, and others were suspected of being behind the demise of the former governor.
Kicking against the decision, a former Minister of State for Transportation, Ademola Adegoroye, described as unthinkable the government’s endorsement for the exhumation of late Akeredolu’s body.
Adegoroye advised governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa against the move for the sake of peace in the state.
He described as unthinkable the government’s endorsement for the exhumation of late Akeredolu’s body.
The former lawmaker, who declared that those behind the petitions are mischievous, said that “the state government has a responsibility to receive and act on any petition and advised the governor not to walk into the booby trap, which could dent his administration.
Also, a former Head of Service in the state, Ajose Kudehinbu, questioned the motive behind the coroner’s inquest, particularly that the cause of death of the late governor had never arisen at any point.
Kudehinbu said that “The executive power in the state resides only in one person, the governor, nobody else, and he’s the one to give account at the end of the day, for the good times, for the bad times, to posterity! The executive power should neither be diluted nor shared for whatever reason.
“When I read the story about the plan to know how Aketi passed on, I knew this could not be true or could only have come from those who lacked regard for the peace and stability of the State in which the Governor is the highest stakeholder.
“As citizens or indigenes, we owe individual or collective responsibility, as a patriotic duty, to see our state on the path of progress.”
Also reacting to the decision of the state government to probe the death of Akeredolu,a legal practitioner, Sola Ajisafe, said that the inquest is unnecessary and may be divisive.
Ajisafe declared that” it is an assault on the memory of the late governor, particularly that it is laced with sinister motives.
According to him “The Owo community is known for its complex dynamics, and any actions that might exacerbate tensions should be avoided.
” I implore you to prioritise caution and consider the long-term implications of your decisions.
“It is without saying that the Attorney General revealed his hand by citing the inglorious and despicable action of the wife of the late governor on the demolition of the Cenotaph in Owo as the basis of his current actions without considering the bigger picture.”
Recall that Akeredolu died in December 2023 of alleged prostate cancer
