Gov Aiyedatiwa’s Media Aides Clash With Commissioners Over Alleged Obstruction
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Multimedia, Taiwo Gbamila, has accused the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Abiola Olawoye, and the Commissioner for Finance, Wunmi Isaac, of frustrating media aides from effectively showcasing the governor’s achievements.
Gbamila stated that Olawoye, since his appointment, has been largely inaccessible, a situation that has hindered the efforts of media aides to highlight the governor’s projects.
The remarks were made in reaction to Olawoye’s alleged criticism of the governor’s media team during an APC stakeholders’ meeting in Akure on Friday.
At the meeting, the infrastructure commissioner reportedly accused the media aides of shirking their responsibilities in publicising his ministry’s ongoing projects.
In a video that has gone viral across the state’s social media space, Gbamila accused Olawoye and Isaac of obstructing the media unit.
He said, “We really don’t understand the issue Olawoye has with the media aides of the governor for him to continue to disparage them. Even when all of us were working to ensure that Aiyedatiwa emerged as the governor, you (Olawoye) were never in the picture.
“Even when you were made a commissioner, nobody got angry; we all embraced and celebrated you. But in all sincerity, Olawoye has been the one frustrating us from properly showcasing the ongoing projects of Mr Governor to the people.
“When I was made the chairman of a committee by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Ebenezer Adeniyan, to identify and showcase the works and projects of the governor, Olawoye, on a series of occasions, prevented us from seeing or having access to the project sites.
“There is absolutely no way for us to project the activities and strides of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa that your ministry (Infrastructure) will not be involved. We called you (Olawoye) on so many occasions; you never picked up your calls and ignored the messages we sent to you, even those from the CPS.
“Both you (Olawoye) and the Commissioner for Finance waged a war against the media aides. You are actually the ones running Aiyedatiwa’s government down. The Commissioner for Finance, on her part, has refused to release running grants for the media unit, which has run into nine months now. We are just dying in silence. But the two of you will always blame us for the problems that you caused.
“The CPS has been the one calming us, the media aides, from speaking out, assuring us that everything will be calmly resolved. The CPS will most of the time use his influence to source funds elsewhere to get the job done because the Commissioner for Finance has refused to release a grant to his office because of petty issues.”
As of press time, neither Olawoye nor Isaac had responded to the allegations.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
