Alao-Akala, accused of stealing public funds, wants to govern Oyo again

Alao-Akala, accused of stealing public funds, wants to govern Oyo again

July 4, 2018Kunle Sanni and Agency Report

Adebayo Alao Akala

Akala, Senator Agboola must face trial for N11.5bn 'fraud', court rules

Despite being prosecuted for allegedly stealing public funds while in office, Adebayo Alao-Akala seeks to govern Oyo State again.
Mr Alao-Akala was Oyo State governor between 2007 and 2011.
He is being prosecuted alongside two others for allegedly mismanaging N11.5 billion public funds.
The former governor alongside a former commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Ayoola Agboola, and Olufemi Babalola are standing trial for offences bordering on alleged criminal conspiracy and fraudulent mismanagement of about N11.5 billion public funds.
Mr Alao-Akala on Wednesday declared his intention to contest for the governorship seat in 2019, saying he was bowing to intense pressure by his admirers.
The former governor made the declaration on Wednesday at his Bodija, Ibadan,  residence while receiving members of  the Akala Support Group who paid him a visit.
The News Agency of  Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the group had at a programme held at Premier Hotel in Ibadan on March 29 called on Mr Alao-Akala to re-contest in 2019.
“Patriotic people of Oyo State, for quite some time now, I have been inundated by telephone calls and  text messages from well-meaning citizens and subjected to intense pressure.
“I have been receiving these messages  from Destiny Group, corporate bodies, political associates and friends alike to stage a comeback to the governorship seat in the state.
“Having communed with my creator, the Almighty God, my immediate family and due consultations with critical stakeholders, I do solemnly offer myself to contest for the governorship seat in 2019. So help me God,” he said.

Mr Alao-Akala, who is being prosecuted for allegedly stealing public funds while in office, said he was contesting with a view to consolidating on and surpassing  the achievements recorded so far by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
He claimed that he endeavoured “to put smiles on the faces of people within available resources’’ when he was governor between 2007 and 2011.
Mr Alao-Akala commended the efforts of Mr Ajimobi who had been governing the state in the last seven years.
“Ajimobi’s remarkable programmes and projects in the areas where people find tough to venture into have been impactful on the  citizenry such that the people have tagged him ‘Koseleri Governor.
“My fellow compatriots, you can see vividly the similarities in our designations,  ‘Oyato’ and ‘Koseleri, ‘ both of which are clear evidence of  purposeful governance,’’ he said.
Earlier, Fola Akinosun, the Chairman of Akala Support Group, had described Mr Alao-Akala as the most qualified and experienced among all those who had  declared interest in the governorship race.
Mr Akinosun, who is a member of  the Buhari Campaign Organisation, said this was not the time to experiment in the choice of leadership.
Olu Abiala, a former NLC Chairman in the state, also said the visit was to appeal to Mr Alao-Akala to listen to the call by no fewer than 5,000 members of the group to contest.
NAN reports that among those present at the forum were human rights activists, labour leaders,  traders as well as representatives of youth and women groups.