Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has dismissed one of his special assistants, Adeboye Ewenla, amid allegations of bribery. Ewenla, who served as the Special Assistant on Forestry for the Central Senatorial District, was accused of engaging in corrupt activities by some local timber merchants.
According to a statement released by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, on Wednesday, the dismissal took immediate effect following the accusations. The statement noted that Ewenla had been accused of bribery and intimidation by timber traders operating within the state.
Adeniyan emphasized the government’s commitment to transparency, stating: “Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has dismissed from office the Special Assistant on Forestry (Central Senatorial District) with immediate effect. This followed allegations of bribery and intimidation leveled against Mr. Ewenla by some timber merchants. Governor Aiyedatiwa has also ordered a probe into the activities of those responsible for managing the forest reserves in the state.
“A replacement for Mr. Ewenla will be announced in due course. The governor urges all political appointees to conduct themselves in line with the provisions of the law and the rules guiding their duties.”
However, Adeboye Ewenla, in a statement of his own, denied all the allegations against him. He described the bribery accusations as a deliberate attempt to damage his reputation.
He stated, “I would like to categorically state that the allegation is false and was orchestrated to tarnish my image because I was considered a major stumbling block to illegal activities in government forest reserves.
“Ondo State Government has already banned deforestation of any kind and prevented unauthorised activities in the forest reserves. Before anyone can operate, they have to pay a certain amount into the government coffers. The money being talked about is meant for the government, not my personal account.”
