…writes deputy Gov to take immediate action
Few days after a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kayode Ajulo, raised the alarm that some commissioners were forging the signature of ailing Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, the state’s Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Razaq Obe, has confirmed the lawyer’s allegation.
On Friday, Obe disclosed that Akeredolu’s signature was forged on an official document.
The commissioner, who revealed this in a letter to the state Deputy Governor, Lucky Ayedatiwa, said the irregularities were detected in a document returned to his ministry through the office of the Secretary to the State Government.
Obe said that he had to send the signature to forensic experts to confirm the authenticity of the signature, saying that it had been confirmed that the suspicious signature and handwriting were forged.
The Commissioner said in his letter, “I write to bring to your attention a critical matter that requires immediate action. It has been confirmed that the signature of Mr Governor on a certain document has been forged.
“The irregularities in the signature were first observed when a file from my ministry was returned through the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
“This is the only file that has been returned so far out of the five files that were sent for Mr Governor’s approval about two months ago.
“Upon closer inspection, I noticed significant differences between the suspicious signature and handwriting and Mr Governor’s known signatures and handwriting in the file.
“Concerned about the gravity of the situation, I decided to seek a forensic review before disclosing my discovery. I sent the suspicious signature, handwriting samples, and copies of the old regular signatures to forensic experts, who have now confirmed that the suspicious signature and handwriting were indeed forged.
“Despite the inherent risks involved, I have chosen to fulfil the obligations of my office by reporting this alarming development to you as the highest-ranking member of the State Executive Council after Mr. Governor. I firmly believe that this is the course of action our esteemed leader, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, would take in such a situation.
“Considering the possibility that such forgery may be widespread, this heads-up is of utmost importance to the government and people of Ondo State. I have attached a copy of the forensic report and relevant pages from the file for your reference.
“I urge you to treat this matter with the urgency it deserves and take appropriate actions to address the situation.
“It is crucial that we restore the integrity of our processes and ensure that such a disturbing development is swiftly punctuated”.
The disclosure was made after Ajulo made serious allegations against some officials of the government forging the governor’s signature on official documents.
The SAN, who appeared on Channels TV a few days ago, cited private investigator findings as damning evidence and asked the security agencies to immediately investigate the forgery allegation.