Gov. Ajimobi Ajimobi said the report that his wife was arrested in London for alleged money laundering was the handiwork of failed politicians in the state.
Speak with reporters in Abuja after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting. He said those behind the report lost out in previous elections.
Ajimobi said: “We know those behind it. Infact, they are political jobbers, who lost out in the last election. Three of them are from the PDP. They have never achieved anything in their lives. They are coming back with the old system of maligning people.”
The governor said those behind the report were out to taint his reputation.
He said: “We have built our reputation over the years. I did not come from nowhere. I worked with the oil industry. I did not work with Wero Enterprises; I worked with National Oil and Shell. I was the Managing Director of National Oil and the MD of Shell STSL in Togo. I have made my name.
“When you are doing well as a politician, some mischief makers, who want to pull you down, would concoct stories like this particular one.”
The governor said it was unreasonable to expect that anyone would carry the amount of money the report claimed was found on his wife.
He said: “In this modern age, will anybody be stupid enough to carry money around in boxes? If you travel with more than $10,000, you will be arrested. Even if you hide it, when you get to some of these countries, their dogs will sniff you out.
“So how will somebody travel with N500 million? It’s a lot of money. How will you carry it? The people who wrote that thing are illiterates, amateurs. We need more quality people in politics.
“We are trying to rid Oyo of wicked, malicious miscreants and political jobbers. Oyo State has been noted for jungle politics. We are working to change that, but the dark forces always try to stop us.
“That report was very malicious. My youngest child was attacked during the electioneering campaign in 2007. She panicked so much that she could not sleep and the doctors advised us to change her location. That is why she has been schooling in England since 2007. So, it is nothing new.
“It is wicked for people to be writing such things. Those behind the report are junk Internet outfits with one room sites. The moment we discovered them, they closed up and we did not see them again.
“The damage has been done. Fortunately for me, another media house published it and I sued them. No amount of pleading will make me stop. I will make sure I stop people from damaging others’ reputation.”
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Oyo State condemned the report.
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Dauda Kolawole, ACN said Mrs. Ajimobi could not have been in possession of huge cash because she has no access to the state’s treasury.
The party said the governor is known for prudence, adding that he has put mechanism in place to guard against financial recklessnazess.
ACN urged rumour peddlers to desist and support the government.
It said: “Journalist are advised to be alive to their responsibilities and avoid mischievous and untrue stories.”
TheNation
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