Adedibu masterminded my impeachment because of security votes – Ladoja

The 11-year-old trial of a former Governor of Oyo State, Chief
Rashidi Ladoja, for an alleged N4.7bn fraud came to a close on
Tuesday after the ex-governor testified in his own defence before
the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been
prosecuting Ladoja alongside a former Oyo State Commissioner for
Finance, Waheed Akanbi, since 2007.

The anti-graft agency accused Ladoja and Akanbi of conspiring
between themselves to divert N4.7bn out of the funds realised from
the sales of shares of Oyo State in some banks.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

On Tuesday, Ladoja mounted the witness box in a bid to convince
the court that he was innocent.

Led in evidence by his lawyer, Mr Bolaji Onilenla, Ladoja said
his travail began in 2005 when his political godfather, the late
Lamidi Adedibu, demanded that the security votes for the state
should be handed over to him.

He said following his refusal to hand over to the late Adedibu
the Oyo State security votes, the late strong man of Ibadan
politics organised some members of the Oyo State House of Assembly
to impeach him.

Ladoja said, “The group that called for my impeachment was led
by the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu.

“The politician believed he had a right to security votes
because he was securing the state but I thought otherwise.

“It was a running battle until I later found out that the
Presidency was involved. “Some members of the state House of
Assembly were promised a lot of things by Adedibu. I later got to
know that my deputy was also involved in the plot to remove
me.”

Ladoja said following his removal from office, one of his aides,
Chief Adewale Atanda, advised him to leave the state to avoid a
threat to his life and he left for Lagos where the Lagos State
Governor at that time, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, provided him “a safe
house”.

The ex-governor said the shares, whose proceeds he was accused
of diverting, were purchased by his administration.

He said contrary to the allegation by the EFCC, proceeds from
the sales of the shares were used to finance the 2006 budget of the
state after his impeachment was nullified by the court.

Ladoja said, “On our return to office, we found out that most of
the items we had in our budget in 2006 were not touched.

“We were then looking for money and the second defendant, who
was the Commissioner of Finance, was saddled with the
responsibility of looking for the money. He then came up with the
idea of selling the shares.

“We later called functionaries at the Ministry of Commerce but
they told us that the shares had been tied down to the purchase of
rice.

“We then found a way of freeing the shares; and at that point,
the second defendant made his submissions to the State Executive
Council on the sale of the shares and it was approved.

“A memo was later raised by the Commissioner of Finance and I
approved it. I had no dealings with either the portfolio manager,
Fountain Securities Ltd, or its Managing Director, Chief Kola
Daisi.”

Justice Mohammed Idris adjourned till January 18, 2019, for
final written addresses after which a date would be fixed for
judgment.

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