A non-governmental, not-for profit organisation in Ogun State, the Ogun Integrity Vanguard, OIV, has condemned the reported rejection of car gifts presented to local government chairmen in Ogun State by the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on the ground that they are not exotic, describing such development as highly unfortunate,
Reports revealed that Governor Abiodun had on Sunday, April 2, presented 20 units of Mikano 2006 cars to the 20 local government chairmen in Ogun State in recognition of their steadfastness at the gubernatorial polls, but the chairmen rejected the gift and left the Government House, Isale Igbehin, Abeokuta, disappointed.
Ogun Integrity Vanguard, in a statement signed by its secretary, Duro Thomas, flayed the actions of the chairmen, saying the that it showed ingratitude and lack of appreciation of the current economic realities.
Insisting that is a well-known fact that many of Governor Abiodun’s political appointees have no official vehicles, as the governor had been trying to channel the state’s resources to the provision of democratic dividends to the vast majority of Ogun people, OIV wondered if a group of chairmen, really intent on serving their people, would complain about vehicles that the average Nigerian, on whose behalf they are in office would die to have.
Thomas said, “We find it highly incongruous that local government chairmen would claim that Milano cars were below standard and not enough to compensate them in view of all they had done for the Abiodun administration.
“Do the chairmen expect the governor to open the state’s vaults and spend money recklessly because they (chairmen) are so high up in the skies and above the people they are called to serve?
“It is highly unfortunate that the local government chairmen would request for the latest Toyota, Lexus and Honda Sonata cars, and that the only Mikano they know is the diesel generator.
“What do the people they want to serve have and where is their patriotic fervour?
“If they want exotic cars, what stops them from calling their car dealers and paying for them from their own purse?
“The chairmen must stop sending the wrong signals to the public, they must stop behaving as people whose only interest in public service is personal aggrandisement.”
