12 July 2008
Lagos — A new twist in the saga was introduced last weekend when the Chief of Staff to the Ogun State Governor, Dr. Yomi Majekodunmi revealed that Governor Gbenga Daniel was poisoned by some people during a recent trip to Abuja. According to Majekodunmi, the governor has since been flown abroad for medical treatment. It was alleged that these faceless people connived with the governor's security men, drivers and cooks.
But the new dimension to the crisis in Ogun State has generated so much reaction and raised several questions from political watchers in the state. Why would anybody want the governor dead? How was poison introduced to the governor's food? Who served the food and what really happened thereafter? Is there any medical report to attest to the allegation that he was actually poisoned?
Most political pundits believe that the poisoning theory was used as ploy to distract from the events that unfolded in Hon. Egbetokun home over the weekend when the governor's Chief of Staff, Majekodunmi went there with six armed men. Although Majekodunmi who was arrested and released immediately has dismissed allegations that he went to the Speaker's home to annihilate him, and that he was simply moving around with his security detail, most people have wondered why he would need a contingent that large and that heavily armed in the first place.
However, the Chief of Staff is insisting that the governor was poisoned about three weeks ago and was later rushed to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital at Sagamu, Ogun State where the poison was detected. After initial treatment at the hospital and there was no improvement, the governor was advised to proceed abroad for proper treatment to cleanse his system. The governor, Majekodunmi disclosed, has travelled twice to the UK for treatment.
Majekodunmi added that "the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly), Egbetokun said they would never impeach Governor Daniel, but that there are worse things than impeachment. They want a declaration of a state of emergency." He accused some external forces of being behind the problems in the state in the last one and a half months. He said that their sponsors were out to destabilise the state.
"There are a lot of external forces in this matter. The time is up. Everything is out in the open, but let us move forward. We cannot continue to be docile and leave some people to destroy our future. All agents of darkness will be consumed concerning this state," he said.
The effect of the latest turn of events has slowed down the process of governance in the state. Indeed Chief Majekodunmi acknowledged that pace of administration headed by Gbenga Daniel has been reduced to a snail's pace.
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