IN DEFENCE OF GOV. GBENGA DANIELS
Society for Ethics in Nigeria
Advertorial in ThisDay newspapers of Thursday, August 24, 2006
No doubt if you ask about Otunba Gbenga Daniels, the Executive Governor
of Ogun State from anyone, especially in the South-West, you are bound
to be told of a tirelessly working governor, who has come and
transformed the President's home State, in less than four years in
office. He has consistently been in the news for flagging off or
commissioning one project or the other, and has become an icon after
the lackluster performance of his predecessor. Indeed, no one would
have thought of any reason to challenge such a "performing"
governor, viewed against the backdrop of the level of performance we
have been used to from our Governors. But this is not the case.
Apparently, someone thought otherwise and has challenged the performing
governor and charged him with offences which hitherto have remained
unknown to majority of Nigerians. In fact, the gentleman in question
has reported the matter to the EFCC.
However, while the EFCC has, or is yet to react on the matter, Gov.
Gbenga Daniels has instructed his solicitors to seek redress in the law
courts for the lies apparently told by this mischievous gentleman
against his person and that of the wife of the Governor, Yeye Daniels.
Of interest to us for now, from all the issues raised in the
advertorial however, is the reported allocation of land to two
companies, where the Governor and the wife of the Governor have
interests. The Governor was alleged to have issued them Certificates of
Occupancy, even though these companies do not exist. In defence of the
Governor, the solicitor was able to show evidence of existence of one
of the companies, quoted excerpts from the Land Use Decree where it is
the duty of the Governor to approve such allocation after due process,
and failed to show us particulars of the second company, just as he did
the first.(he probabaly forgot the photocopy of the certificate of
incorporation of that one). While not denying the action of the
Governor, the Solicitor tried to prove that the Governor has not erred
in law, and therefore has done nothing wrong since due process was
followed in allocating these lands to the two companies.
The question to members of the Society for Ethics in Nigeria is this:
1. Is it morally/ethically right for the Governor to issue Certificates
of Occupancy to companies in which he has interests?
Whiskey, I.U. - Coordinator