2018 Offa Robbery: Saheed Popoola Stands By Public Apology To Saraki, Says ‘Every Lie Has an Expiry Date’
Kwara South PDP senate candidate, Hon. Saheed Popoola, has commented on his recent remarks at the palace of the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi in respect of the 2018 Offa bank robbery while also raising the alarm over the deteriorating security situation in the senatorial district.
He warned that persistent fear of attacks could derail his agricultural agenda for the senatorial district.
Speaking as a guest on the ‘News Keg’ programme of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State Council on Friday, Hon Saheed Popoola lamented that the bulk of his proposed programmes and legislative plans centre on agriculture, but noted that such initiatives risk becoming a mirage if farmers are too afraid to access their farmlands.
He further alleged that frequent abduction incidents across Kwara South are being allegedly blacked out in the media.
Highlighting the untapped agricultural potential of the district, the former state lawmaker and local government chairman, noted that Ifelodun Local Government alone possesses a landmass larger than Bayelsa State and Rwanda, a country in East Africa. He described it as tragic that such a vast, fertile land ideal for large-scale farming is being rendered inaccessible by insecurity.
To ensure effective and accessible representation, Hon Saheed Popoola promised to bring governance closer to the grassroots by establishing functional constituency offices across all the 83 wards in Kwara South if elected senator next year.
The offices, he added, will be manned by dedicated Liaison Officers tasked with gathering real-time feedback and complaints from the constituents.
Addressing his recent remarks at the palace of the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi, regarding the 2018 Offa bank robbery, Hon Popoola reaffirmed his public apology to former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki. He submitted that he stood firmly by his confession on how the tragedy was politicized ahead of the 2019 general election.
‘I am happy that I am alive today to make corrections and publicly apologize, because what we said preparatory to the 2019 general election was also done in public’ he submitted while adding that ‘Every lie has an expiry date’.
The senate hopeful also criticized the APC-led administration in the state, accusing it of abandoning proactive governance and acting like an opposition party by merely reacting to moves made by Dr. Saraki and the state PDP.
As evidence, Hon Popoola cited the state government’s sudden deployment of equipment to an abandoned road immediately after Dr. Saraki announced plans to rehabilitate the road in question during a recent visit to Erin-Ile.
He also commended the former Senate President’s recent ₦50 million intervention aimed at fixing Offa’s decades-old electricity crisis, noting that the PDP remains committed to addressing the real developmental needs of the people.
Hon Popoola commented on the N50 million donation announced by Dr. Saraki to fix the electricity problems in Offa, lamenting that a two-hour power supply had become a luxury for the people of the town, and noting that the intervention will help to change the narrative.
The former state lawmaker added that he had urged Dr. Saraki to support the community with N20 million while others would raise the remaining N30 million, but the former Senate President surprised him by making the entire amount available-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
