OYO State Governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, yesterday received a shocking birthday gift from the youths of the state branch of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP): a protest.
The youths, numbering about 200, took to the streets, asking the governor to explain the whereabouts of N8.2billion state excess crude oil fund.
The protest held at Eleyele area of Ibadan, coinciding with the governor’s birthday church service, which President Goodluck Jonathan attended as special guest of honour.
The protesters, it was learnt, had planned to take their protest to the Eleyele Polo Ground, venue of the governor’s birthday reception, apparently hoping to get the attention of the President.
But while they were marching towards the Polo Ground, a team of mobile policemen were said to have intercepted and dispersed them with teargas, thus preventing the attempt to disrupt the birthday reception.
Singing anti-Alao-Akala’s slogans, the PDP youths held motorists to a standstill.
They carried placards with various inscriptions such as ‘Where is Oyo State Excess Crude Oil Fund of N8.2billion?’’; "LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso project is a fraud" ; "Arrest Alao-Akala Now" ; and "No more Akala in 2011"; among others.
While the church service held at the cathedral of Molete Baptist Church was on, some attendants, comprising close aides of the governor, were jolted with the news that a group of PDP youths with placards were marching towards the polo ground.
Some of the aides were seen moving out of the church premises as the news filtered in, while others discussed the development in hush tones.
But the congregation was not in distracted.
Contacted, the state police spokesperson, DSP Olabisi Okuwobi, said there was no truth in the reported protest, adding that the command was not aware of any protest.
She explained that such a protest could not have been noticed since only the people with placards welcoming the President and praising the governor were seen at the venue of the birthday.
Security was tight at the Polo Club.
About 2,000 policemen deployed to the venue of the birthday ceremony were seen frisking people.
They appeared set for any security breach.
There was heavy traffic at the reception. Party faithful and other well-wishers trying to gain entry into the arena faced hectic time while policemen sweated to control the crowd and passing the fleet of cars.
Reacting yesterday, the Special Assistant to Governor on Inter-Governmantal Relations (Political), Alhaji Tunde Olayiwola, said the protesters were sponsored thugs.
He alleged that they were hired by the opposition out of their envy of the governor’s achievements.
Olayiwola said he was happy that enemies of the governor did not succeed in their plan to disrupt the birthday ceremony.
He said: "They (protesters) do not represent PDP youths in Oyo State. The leader of PDP youths in Oyo State is Hon. Adewale.
"So, those people you saw are fake; they are hired thugs."
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