The former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has replied his successor, Dapo Abiodun over the controversy trailing the relocation of the Dangote refinery from the state.
Amosun on Wednesday described Abiodun’s claims about him being responsible for the relocation of the refinery to Lagos State as ‘lies and half truths.
OsunDaily News earlier reported that Abiodun blamed Amosun for frustrating Aliko Dangote out of the state.
According to him, the former governor was responsible for why the $19 billion Dangote refinery was not built in Ogun State.
Abiodun in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin on Tuesday, said he should not be blamed for the loss.
According to the governor, he was Chairman, Olokola Free Trade Zone, in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of the state during the administration of former governor Amosun, and he was not part of the moves that frustrated Dangote out of the state.
Abiodun’s reaction followed
allegation of ‘bad politics’ laid by former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state, Segun Sowunmi.
Sowunmi had said it was because of bad politics that Ogun State lost the opportunity to host the Dangote refinery.
However, in his reply to Abiodun, Amosun said it would be the last time he would be commenting on the Dangote refinery controversy.
The former Ogun State governor in a statement signed by his media aide, Bola Adeyemi, and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta challenged Abiodun to present facts on the loss of the refinery when he was Chairman of the Committee on the Olokola Free Trade Zone projects.
Throwing more light on the controversy, Amosun revealed that one of the major reasons that made Ogun to lose the project was his administration’s insistence “that, about 500 hectares must be set aside and protected for the benefit of our people in Ogun East, and in particular, the host community, Ogun Waterside.”
Amosun said “lies and half truths are churned out so repeatedly and unashamedly, without being challenged, the innocent public may begin to reckon with such concoctions as the gospel truth.
“It is, therefore, interesting to read that the present Ogun State governor holds me responsible for allegedly scuttling the Olokola project. For the benefit of the good people of Ogun State, Nigerians and posterity, we challenge him, particularly as he was then the chairman appointed to oversee and ensure that the project was sited in Olokola Free Trade Zone, to disclose with facts, where he or the administration was remis, and which might have led to the project being moved away from Ogun State.
“The only thing I can recall that the government insisted on, was that, about 500 hectares must be set aside and protected for the benefit of our people in Ogun East, and in particular, the host community, Ogun Waterside.
“As Governor, I would never have knowingly let any opportunity slip past Ogun State and its people. I did my best to the satisfaction and conviction of my conscience.
“As I conclude, it is my hope that this intervention will give clarity to the vexed subject of the Olokola Free Trade Zone and the relocation of the Dangote Refinery controversy.”
