A few hours after the resignation of Mr Sunday Abegunde, as Secretary to the Ondo State Government, the governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, appointed Mr Tayo Oluwatuyi, as replacement.
Akeredolu announced Oluwatuyi at the weekly media briefing in Akure, the state capital on Monday.
Abegunde had resigned through a letter which partly read, “I, Hon. Ifedayo Sunday Abegunde, the Secretary to the State Government of Ondo State hereby tender my letter of resignation.
“I want to thank Mr Governor for giving me the opportunity to serve the Government and people of Ondo State.”
However, Abegunde later granted an interview in Yoruba language on Crest FM, during which he said he resigned from office because of the ill-treatment meted out to him by the governor.
He said, “I suffered in his (Akeredolu) administration because he didn’t release any fund to my office. He has been telling lies that he was giving me N5m every month even when he knew he didn’t give me such money.
“Akeredolu didn’t win the election in 2016 but we made it possible for him to become governor. We were the pillars behind him and we will not support him again. He will lose this time around.”
Abegunde, a two-term member of the House of Representatives further said that he resigned because he could no longer be part of a government that made its subjects to pass through hardship.
He said, “The Akeredolu’s administration is making the entire people of the state to suffer and I cannot be part of that any longer. ”
The Ondo State Commissioner, Mr Donald Ojogo, in his reaction, said, “ We make bold to say that there can’t be a better reaction than the fact that the man talking has since been replaced with immediate effect. This means he has not been missed and shall not be missed at all. So we wont join issues with the former SSG.”
By Peter Dada