By Awa Bamiji

This is how N5m cash donation sent directly to me through Vera Okei, the younger Sister of Dr Joe Okei – Odumakin, by H.E., Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu, got diverted and illegally shared to friends and families just like Christmas Gifts by Vera Okei in the Yinka Odumakin’s House, on Friday, 16th April, 2021, to frustrate our Civil Societies’ plan towards the burial.

In his magnanimity, His Excellency went further to give me another N5m for the Civil Society Organisation and Pro-Democracy Movement 3 – day Burial outing, on Tuesday, 22nd April, 2021, just to allow peace to reign in the Civil Society Community.

On hearing this announcement, Dr Joe Okei – Odumakin immediately issued a Press Statement, titled, “Odumakin: Stop using my Husband’s name to solicit for money”, disassociating the Odumakin’s family from our geniune intention to honour her Husband and our own dear friend and Hero in the Yoruba self-determination struggles.

The Chairman of Central Burial Committee, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi and another important member of the Committee, Hon. Sola Lawal, immediately intervened by condemning her action during our meeting in the Yinka Odumakin’s House on Wednesday, 21 April, 2021, and the duo requested for the immediate issuance of another Press Statement from our own end as a damage control during the period, which I titled “Final Memorial Plan of the Civil Society and Pro-Democracy Movement as agreed with the Odumakin’s family and Central Burial Committee of Yinka Odumakin” on behalf of our Group.

Up till now, this N5 million Naira was not accounted for by Vera Okei and since it didn’t get to its destination, Civil Society Organisation and Pro-Democracy Movement for Yinka Odumakin’s and Innocent Chukwuma’s Burials; there’s no way we could acknowledge it but we must as a matter of urgency set the record straight for posterity’s sake and thank the people’s Governor at the Centre of Excellence, Babajide Sanwo-olu, alias work in Progress, for his love for a peaceful atmosphere.

This Press Statement became necessary because of the reckless and continous push by Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin through her paid employees and core loyalists, whom, on instruction of their Leader, jointly opened another WhatsApp Platform titled “Odumakin’s Real Accountability” out of protest against the closure or winding down or pulling down of the Odumakin’s Accountability Whatsapp Platform with about 250 members across the Globe, in their collective bid to get the details of account of every kobo donated by the South West Governors and individuals to the Civil Societies.

It will be recalled that the Prominent Traditional, Religious, Political and Civil Society Leaders, in the likes of Barrister Femi Falana, SAN; Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi; HRH Oba Odidiomo Afolabi, Olu of Igbokoda; Oba Comrade Abiodun Sowunmi; Comrades Segun Sowunmi, Segun Mayegun and other important People too numerous to mention here, intervened in this matter of Odumakin’s Accountability and suggested the Platform be closed down for the in -house settlement but this didn’t go down well wiith my dear Sister and friend in the Nigerian democratic Struggles, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, who gave me an instruction through our mutual friend, Comrade Declan Ihekaire, to set up the Odumakin’s Accountability Platform based on our mutual agreement that it would be closed down immediately we get to know what went wrong in the process of Projects’ execution during the 3-day Burial which led to crises in the Civil Society Constituency in Nigeria.

Comrade AWA Bamiji is Secretary, Civil Society Organisation and Pro-Democracy Movement for Yinka Odumakin’s and Innocent Chukwuma’s Burials.

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