A former Military Governor of the defunct Western State, Brig.-Gen. Oluwole Rotimi (retd.), has denied former Osun State Governor Bisi Akande’s claim that he told the late Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister Bola Ige that he would face consequences if he left the Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration.
Rotimi made the clarification at a media briefing yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to mark his 90th birthday.
Akande recently claimed in a radio interview that Rotimi said there would be consequences should Ige consider leaving the Obasanjo government.
Ige was murdered on December 23, 2001, at his Bodija residence in Ibadan while still serving under the Obasanjo government.
Rotimi said Obasanjo had called him when he wanted to change his cabinet to speak to Ige not to contemplate walking out of his government.
“There was a lot of pressure on Ige to leave the Obasanjo government from people, including Prof. Wole Soyinka.
“I now advised Chief Bola Ige: ‘Please, don’t do it. Obasanjo did not make a mistake in appointing you a minister in his government, and he appreciates your usefulness to his government.’
“I did not say if he left, something would happen to him.
“That I advised Chief Bola Ige not to walk out of Obasanjo’s government is a fact, but I did not tell him there would be consequences should he do it.
“First and foremost, that is what I want to clarify,” he said.
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The former military governor said what Akande said amounted to a misrepresentation.
He urged he former Osun State governor to try as much as possible to get his facts right on the situation.
Rotimi said he wondered how he would have known what would happen to Ige since he was not in the government.
The former military governor faulted the steps the government took after Ige’s death, saying a thorough investigation should have been conducted into his death that had been so controversial.
“They should have gone beyond those who are his security personnel.
“If you limit your investigation right from the beginning, how do you deal with other facts hanging around, which nobody thought about?
“That is the way I feel they should go. But I have learnt over the years to close my mouth because I don’t want to say something which I cannot publicly defend in order not to be seen as a fool,” he said.
The former military governor said he felt for both Ige and Nigerians who looked up to the assassinated minister as a leader.
Unfortunately, he said, there was nothing he could do because he was not in a position of authority.