#InCaseYouMissedIt: Truth Commission calls for prosecution of Daniel’s wife

by Isi Esene

The Ogun State Truth Commission has recommended the prosecution of the wife of the immediate past governor of the state, Mrs. Olufunke Daniel, and seven others for perceived offences.

The commission’s Chairman, Justice Pius Aderemi (retd.), on Tuesday recommended that Mrs. Daniel; the former commissioner for youths and sports in the state, Mr. Bukola Olopade; Mr. Akeem Odejimi, the former Chairman of Abeokuta South LGA; the Olofin of Ado-Odo, Oba Lateef Adeniran; and three others should be prosecuted by the state.

They were accused of engaging in political violence, abuse of office and hooliganism.

Justice Aderemi said this while presenting the report to Governor Ibikunle Amosun whose administration set-up the commission which is modeled after the Oputa panel initiated by former Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

The commission indicted Mrs. Olufunke Daniel for allegedly leading thugs and policemen to the residence of Mr. Tunde Oladunjoye, the former chairman of the Ijebu East LGA where they were said to have beaten up Oladunjoye’s personal assisitant, Mr. Odunaya Rasheed during the unsolicited visit.

The report said, “The proven excesses of Mrs. Olufunke Daniel arose from the widespread abuse of spouses of governors and presidents when there is no legal basis for the office of First Lady in Nigeria.”

Mr. Sina Kawonise, the former commissioner for Information in the Daniel administration, however faulted the commission for not granting Mrs. Daniel a right to proper hearing before finalising its report.

He also called to question the competence of the commission to indict Mrs. Daniel saying, “The wife of the former governor could not have appeared before the commission because doing so would have amounted to committing a subjudicial act since the commission’s competence had been challenged before courts of competent jurisdiction up to the Appeal court.

“The commission should have waited for pending cases to be ironed out.

“It is very saddening that the commission went ahead to establish guilt against persons who were not given fair hearing since they did not appear before the commission,” he concluded.

Many observers view the commission as a tool in the political proxy war between former governor Daniel and the incumbent governor Ibikunle Amosun.

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