By G9ija
The Ogun State government on Sunday said Bidemi Rufai did not bring any business concern to the state during his short stint as a special assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun, as well as a report that Rufai was being paid $2,000 as an aide to the governor.
People’s Gazette, an online news source, has reported that Governor Abiodun was paying Rufai $50,000 each time he introduced someone to him, in addition to a $2,000 monthly salary.
In a statement released on Sunday and signed by Governor Abiodun’s chief press secretary, Kunle Somorin, it was revealed that Rufai, who the governor appointed as his Senior Special Assistant on Housing, had never previously cultivated a close bond with the governor.
Somorin claims that Rufai, like other governor’s aides, was recommended for the position by his ward and not as a result of any special favors rendered to the governor during his 2019 gubernatorial campaigns.
The statement further faulted and denied the claims by the online medium that Rufai was being paid $2,000 salary, which according to it is “outrageous and baseless.”
“Bidemi Rufai was appointed as a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Housing, and was nominated for appointment barely three months before he was arrested.
“He had not resumed formerly and had no official office to transact business. He wasn’t part of the Ogun State Economic Management Team and have got no input into the state government activities. His appointment was based on his activities in his ward. He didn’t sit in the State Executive Council meetings and couldn’t have had inputs in policies of the state government.
“The governor had no deal with Rufai on any transaction. He brought not a single one. They can check with the US embassy,” the statement added.
