• He hasn’t quit, says govt
FACTS on the alleged resignation of Ogun State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Wemimo Ogunde, have emerged.
Ogunde, son of the late famous Theatre icon, Hubert Ogunde, was said to have thrown in the towel on Wednesday February 6, 2013 although Information and Strategy Commissioner, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, denied that he resigned.
The Guardian learned that the resignation was the climax of a series of disagreements between him and Governor Ibikunle Amosun on issues bordering on the commissioner’s professional responsibilities.
A source said that on many occasions, Ogunde and Amosun had open disagreements over issues bordering on the former’s professional calling.
But it climaxed on Monday February 4 when he and the governor, according to the source, had an open confrontation over certain laws, which are being enforced in Lagos “to be imported to Ogun State.”
The Guardian was also told that attempts by the government to “firm out commercial and legislative drafting jobs to ‘outsiders’ were always frustrated by Ogunde who always insisted that the Ministry of Justice has enough competent staff members to handle any government job.”
The source said that the governor had directed Ogunde to draft 13 of the Lagos laws for the Ogun State House of Assembly’s approval so that the Abeokuta government could enforce them.
He mentioned such laws to include Land Use Charge Law, New Town Development Law, Road Toll Law and Parking Scheme Law. But the source said that the commissioner had always argued that not all the laws in Lagos could not be “imported wholesale to Ogun State because the situations and environments in the two states are different.
“But the governor insisted that the commissioner must carry out his directive,” said the source who stressed that at the State Executive Council meeting on Tuesday February 5, Amosun asked Ogunde if he had completed drafting the said laws.
“He (Ogunde) stood his ground, arguing that not all the said laws would be suitable for the state,” the source stated.
Ogunde was said to have explained further that even those laws that would be good for Ogun State, would need enough time to be properly drafted since they affected the destiny of human beings.
The source said that Ogunde’s answer did not go down well with Amosun “who became angry.”
Ogunde was also said to have become enraged and while tempers were still high, Amosun stormed out of the meeting. As soon as he left, Ogunde also packed his books and files and stormed out to the discomfort of the other state executive members.
Ogunde was said to have submitted his resignation letter that Wednesday and left for London the following day (Thursday). The Guardian confirmed this.
The investigations showed that the relationship between Ogunde and Amosun had always been unhealthy as they had “severally disagreed on issues.”
Another source that spoke to The Guardian but also did not want to be quoted said that due to the frosty relationship between the duo, the Ministry of Justice was starved of funds and the necessary facilities to enable him perform effectively.
Some lawyers who The Guardian spoke to described Ogunde as a thorough bred professional.
However, Olaniyonu told The Guardian that Ogunde “has not resigned.”
Source: The Guardian
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