By AAT
…I DID NOT SLAP ANYONE, ACTORS OF THIS SCRIPT ARE AMATEURS, SAYS DR ODEBOWALE
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s Aide, Dr Doyin Odebowale,Senior Special Asssitant on Special Duty has denied slapping any pregnant women saying the actors are amateurs and immatured.
He made this disclosure during a press release in Akure to explain what happened after seeing various reports in the media.
Odebowale explained that the reason for his long silence was to obtain permission from the Governor to address the media on the matter.
CLARIFICATION ON WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE PREGNANT WOMAN IN QUESTION
I will like to clarify that, that at no time did I, Doyin Odebowale that you know as High Priest or any member of my team slap anybody for whatever reason. We were at Oja Oba on our way to Ore for enforcement as directed by Mr. Governor, we have been at Oja Oba, Arakale, and Ondo West, Ore, and some other places.
Our team is an interventionist team and we act strictly on the directive of Mr. Governor.
On that particular day, as we set out, we started from Arakale, the enforcement team, we were on foot and we had over 20 Policemen, Journalists and other members of the public who were following us.
When we got to Oja Oba because we have been having issues with that place concerning waste generation, waste disposal and the indiscriminate display of goods on the road, and the ways you find cars parked on the way, the way people misbehave generally.
There is a particular instance, when my team had to evacuate a so-called mad man who was accused of stealing, robbing people on the Oja Oba bridge.
At another instance we were told that those who were compelled to use the pedestrian bridge were being robbed, so we contacted the DPO of A-Division to be sending his men to the place, post some in the morning, afternoon and in the evening, and we retained that.
We also heard that some traders now that they know the flow of traffic, human traffic had increase on the bridge now moved their goods to the bridge, we sent our men to go and dislodge them.
The traders who have shops had sublet the space in front of their shops for those we have driven-off the road. And what they do is that, they pretend as if they do not know what is going on but they actually collect money from these traders who were driven-off the road and they will now tie their bench and table with a chain to secure the space, we saw all these littering the road.
So, I gave the instruction that any bench tied, any table should be destroyed that traders would stay in their shops.
We started the enforcement from Arakale, as I said, we moved through the Deji’s place, all those who had extended their shops to the road, were asked to remove the extension.
By the time we got to where you call Post Office, we met beggars who had taken over the roads, we evacuated them, also met a new kiosk either for POS or whatever, we demolished, then we proceeded.
When we got to the place in contention, as a matter of fact, let me say this, the incident did not strike me as anything until I received a call from Mr Governor at around 2:40, we were already at Ore.
By the time we got to that place, we met a woman who was selling livestock, chickens and I told the woman that no, you cannot do this, you have your shop, you cannot come, we saw the droppings of feathers, dirty environment and I said no, it will not happen, and I said Mama, push this thing inside, she complied reluctantly, she was telling me that the governor did not tell them not to use their space, of course I did not have to argue with her because I know whosoever is outside is either the owner of the shop or someone who has rented the space from the owner of the shop, but my mision was to clear the place and assist the waste management people and ZL, the people contracted to pack the heaps of debris we have in the whole of the capital city.
The next place of enforcement was where we had a table and several benches tied to the table and a woman was sitting on the bench, I did not know if she is pregnant or not pregnant, there was an umbrella, she did not appear as a government staff, no way!
She was a trader, spotting green gown, the waste management people will put on green and black, she was on green gown, that was not even an issue, I saw a young Mallam boy who was with a wheel barrow and fruits, I now told him to leave.
Before I could turn, acting on the instruction that I had given that all benches, all tables must be destroyed, a member of my team had proceeded to effect that and destroy the table, and he was going to destroy the bench and the next one, I saw this woman, I did not see any pregnant, I saw the woman dragging the bench with a policeman with a rifle, I said who is this? Policeman with a rifle.
I dragged the bench, and I said break it and they broke the bench and we proceeded. We stayed in that axis for more than one hour, putting into effect what the governor directed that we must do.
The only place we spared was the Heritage Bank canopy because of their customers, because they are trying to observe COVID-19 Protocols, all other places down to Texaco, down to A- Division, those who has turned the major road into their car parks, those were selling cars, selling breads on the road, we arrested them. We took them to A- Division, we spent some time with the DPO, it was later when we were leaving for Ore, that I advised the DPO to use his discretion to release them.
It was when we got to Ore that we started hearing different stories, but of course, I don’t want to go into why or how anybody would lie, I never slap any pregnant woman, I never push anybody down, no pregnant woman fainted, nobody was rushed to the hospital, it is all drama. AWADA-KERI-KERI.
And of course we know where it is from, I have the video of all that transpired. And when you want to talk about Doyin Odebowale, a PHD holder, a lawyer slapping a pregnant woman over what?
What I read on Sahara Reporters that I used charmed ring to beat a woman, because of what? Fighting for paternity on what? Asking her to give me her pregnancy or what? Or that she left my house to go and be pregnant for someone else? What is the nexus? There has to be something that would have warranted my beating a pregnant woman.
I am a father of women, my two girls are women, I am a husband and I have women as friends.
Let me quickly correct this laughable allegation again. they said because the woman refused to greet me, do I even count the numbers of people who greet me in a day? Was that why’we went to the market to do? I have about 20 policemen with me.
Where she was sitting at the market, we have a heap of debris and I begin to wonder what a heavily pregnant woman would be doing with dirt, with waste management.
Heavily pregnant woman selling in the market or managing waste does not portray us as a serious people.
They said because she did not stand up to greet me, that is a wicked lie! That never happened. I didn’t even have time for greetings? No. We were clearing the paths. We were going from Akure to Ore and we were clearing the path.
Anywhere, we got to and we saw any obstruction, we would stop, we act and we would move.
I tell you, I can’t even recognised the woman even now! And does it not strike you as odd that something that was reported as that, the woman should have a husband I presumed if she is pregnant, It is a very serious offence for a lawyer, for policemen who were with me slapped a woman that fainted and slipped into a coma and nobody has gone to the police to report this!
I don’t enjoy immunity. I’m not above the law! I should have been asked ! Those who wrote this script are amateurs! They should have perfected their strategies and may be gone to the Police to report that this man be invited to write a statement or maybe Aketi would come and beg for me to be released on administrative bail then I will know that I have entered it.
And the Policemen with me will be in. They will be in trouble. They are officers of the law first and foremost. They are not political thugs. They are not working for the governor. They are working for the state. We cannot act outside our brief. So it did not happen. We never! I still cannot recognise the woman now, even now!
As a lawyer, I know what I have in my defence. I don’t know what anybody may want to sprinkle. I have the video of even the woman after I have left and I was on that stretch for more than one hour nobody said anything. Nobody!
The Aftermath
After several mention on the social media calling for the sack of the Commissioner who was accused of slapping a pregnant woman, the NLC in Ondo State today staged a protest and were addressed by the Deputy Governor,Mr Aiyedatiwa who promised that the Governor will look into their request.
The Nigerian Labour Congress promised to continue the protest on Monday until the power drunk aide is sacked.