Ondo State, Nigeria – The government of Ondo State has refuted claims that it has frozen the accounts of all the local governments and the local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state, and sacked the chief of protocol of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

In a statement issued on Monday, the commissioner for information and orientation, Mrs. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, said the reports circulating on some media platforms were not only false but also designed to embarrass the state government.

She said there was never a time the acting governor, Lucky Ayedatiwa, or any government official, issued such a directive, and urged the public to disregard the rumor.

“The news going round some old and new media platforms that the acting governor, Lucky Ayedatiwa has put a freeze on local government accounts in the state is false and misleading,” she said.

“At no time has the acting governor or any functionary of the state put a freeze on local government accounts or order any closure.”

She added that the state government was committed to the proper functioning of the new 33 LCDAs and the existing 18 local government areas in the state as a way of enhancing development at the grassroots.

She also clarified that the chief of protocol to the governor, Mr. Bola Alabi, had not been sacked or placed on suspension, as some reports had suggested.

According to Vanguard, she said the report was mischievously reported, and that the chief of protocol was only redeployed to the office of the acting governor to prepare for his engagements.

“The chief of protocol was not placed on suspension,” she said.

“The report was mischievously reported, urging the public to ignore the said report.”

She stated that the state government was aware of a suit filed by the opposition party before the state high court, challenging the creation of the LCDAs, and hoped that the issues would be resolved soon.

She also said the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) had started working on the delineation of a minimum of five councilors electoral wards in each of the LCDAs, as part of the transition guidelines for the local government election scheduled for later this year.

“Government is committed to a smooth transition that will usher a democratic elected local government area in Ondo State,” she said.

The statement came amid speculation that the acting governor was taking some drastic measures in the absence of Governor Akeredolu, who is currently on medical leave in London.

Akeredolu had handed over power to his deputy, Ayedatiwa, on April 1, before travelling abroad for what he described as a routine medical check-up. He is expected to resume office on April 23, according to his spokesman, Richard Olatunde.

Olatunde had also dismissed the reports of the freezing of accounts and the sacking of the chief of protocol as “fake news” and “a figment of the imagination of the authors”.

He said the governor and his deputy had a cordial relationship and were working together for the progress of the state. He urged the people of the state to disregard any information that was not from the official channels of the government.

Ondo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the south-western region of the country.