My role in Ondo COVID-19 response fund, by Olugboyegun

A member of the Ondo State COVID-19 Response Fund Committee, Mr. Segun Olugboyegun, has described as malicious, claims by some people on social media that the committee got over N700 million as donations from various organisations and that the funds were misused.

He denied being involved in the misuse of any public fund, saying those peddling the rumours were only working to rubbish the administration of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN and to adversely affect his chances of being re-elected for another term.

Olugboyegun, in a statement yesterday, said he is not the chairman of the committee and that none of the situation members collected a kobo for serving on the committee, but rather donated money into it.

“While the vile recorded message left no conscionable, discernible and right-thinking person in doubt that it was a sponsored hatchet job, I make bold to say that this is politics carried too far by political jobbers lacking in integrity and conscience.

“My concerns, however, are the references made in the recorded message to my person, image and reputation which I had laboured to build over the years, as well as my pedigree which I value, cherish, and hold dear more than gold.

“Contrary to what the faceless recorded message said, I, Segun Olugboyegun (formerly Fagboyegun) was not, and is not, the Chairman of the Ondo State Covid-19 Response Fund Committee. The chairman is no less a personality than distinguished Mr. Kayode Falowo, Esq., who is the chairman of Greenwich Trust Limited. I was just one out of six other members of the committee, excluding the secretary.

“Contrary to the fake allegation that the Covid-19 Response Fund Committee received N700 million from the World Health Organisation (WHO), US$2 million from the United States of America, US$1 million from China, and a total of US$7 million, no such donations were received by the Ondo State Covid-19 Response Fund Committee.

“To ensure probity, openness, transparency and accountability, the Ondo State Covid-19 Response Fund Committee appointed a reputable auditing firm, SIAO Partners, whose Managing Partner is Mr. Itua Ighodalo, as auditors and Ernst and Young (now referred to as EY), a leading international professional services firm, as advisers.”