Yesterday, Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu sent his attorney-general and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Mr Adekola Olawoye, packing
“I think the Governor has even tolerated him for too long; no governor could have absorbed what the man was doing to Akeredolu simply because they are from the same town, Owo and close friends.“The whole thing started just about two years into the administration when Olawoye complained about favouritism for some persons from Owo against him, and these are young guys with energy who have been very influential. But what was his contribution?
“He had blackmailed the Governor anywhere he found himself and the worst came about a week ago when he took certain unilateral decisions without the knowledge of the governor and that caused some embarrassments to the governor.
“The most important of all is his inability to build consensus among top lawyers in the state. The ministry has been reduced to nothing and we lawyers have so much respect for the Ministry and we think it is the right decision to take. The most painful thing that happened was last year when the man without the knowledge of the governor reportedly connived with someone from the South senatorial district to sabotage the appointment of the current deputy Governor-elect, Lucky Aiyedatiwa from becoming the MD of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC.
“Even when that failed, Aiyedatiwa could not be considered for the position of State representative until the president stopped that process. To make matters worse, he was alleged to be the brain behind the rumour about the issue of an alleged fake Certificate of the new deputy governor simply because he doesn’t like him. That was the reason he was always fighting for a female to be Akeredolu’s deputy instead of Lucky.
“Apart from that, the governor was embarrassed that Lawyers could embark on public protest. Mind you, he was Attorney general and he knows the importance of the profession. There was no time Olawoye brought the issues that led to the protest to his knowledge. He deliberately wanted to embarrass the Governor with that, the government source told newsmen.
“The sacked Attorney-General is a man who has integrity and conscience. He does not abhor illegality at all because he is highly principled and knows the implication of any illegality that has to do with the law. You remember how the crisis in the state House of Assembly started. The AG had been advising that the suspended lawmakers be reinstated because they have a constituency they are representing but the governor refused this despite the court judgment ordering their reinstatement.
“But the last straw that broke the camel’s back is that the governor wanted Olawoye to make his sister-in-law, one Prof Alero, a judge in the state’s high court. He wanted the sister-in-law to fill a vacant position of Justice Dele Olupitan, who died recently in the state’s high court.
“The woman by birth is from Delta State and already we have more qualified Ondo State indigenes to fill this slot but Akeredolu is refusing and wants his sister-in-law. She is purely an academician and has been in the academics for over 20 years. She has not seen the four walls of the court nor had a history of a case to herself in any court.
“I’m aware that recommendations have been made to the National Judicial Council and they have picked an indigene of the state with good credentials but the governor is refusing that he only wants his sister in-law. The governor even said he won’t inaugurate anyone than his own choice which is Prof Alero.
“The governor sees the AG as someone who is not doing his bidding and it is the main reason why he booted him out of that office. Even, the Chief Judge (Mrs Oluwatoyin Akeredolu), is not in good terms with the governor because the woman has been trying to avoid him because she knows Akeredolu likes perpetrating illegality. I know the sledgehammer would still come on her too because she too doesn’t take nonsense or accede to illegality,” the source said.
