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“Up till now, this N5 million Naira has not been accounted for by Vera Okei and since it didn’t get to its destination, Civil Society Organisation and Pro-Democracy Movement for Yinka Odumakin’s and Innocent Chukwuma’s Burials, there’s no way we could acknowledge it…”
*Vera Okei, the lady who allegedly collected the N5million from the governor on behalf of the committee but shared it with “those on ground”
PEGASUS REPORTERS
Facts are gradually emerging how the public-spirited donation of N15million made by governments and individuals toward the befitting burial of the late Yinka Odumakin was spent.
In a press statement made on Sunday 16th of May, 2021, the Secretary, Civil Society Organisation and Pro-Democracy Movement for Yinka Odumakin’s and Innocent Chukwuma’s Burials, Comrade AWA Bamiji gave vivid details of how part of the donation was diverted by one Vera Okei, said to be a relation of Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, wife of the late activist.
RELATED: CSOs and PDMs Release Final Memorial & Burial Arrangements For Odumakin’s Interment
Explaining that Vera’s action was an attempt to frustrate the planned burial and a befitting honour to the departed, Comrade Bamiji in the statement said:
“…N5m cash donation sent directly to me through Vera Okei, the younger Sister of Dr Joe Okei – Odumakin, by H.E., Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, got diverted and illegally shared to friends and families just like Xmas gifts by Vera Okei in Yinka Odumakin’s House, on Friday, 16th April 2021, to frustrate our Civil Societies’ plan towards the Burial.
Comrade Bamiji explained further that as a result of the illegal diversion and to not forestal a project has already begun, the governor in his magnanimity, “give me another N5m for the Civil Society Organisation and Pro-Democracy Movement’s 3-day burial outing, on Tuesday, 22nd April, 2021, just to allow peace to reign in the Civil Society Community”
RELATED: Odumakin Burial: Civil Society Groups Thank Donor Governments, Organisations & Individuals
The shocker was that rather than calling Vera to answer for the diversion of the fund, “Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin immediately issued a press statement, titled, “Odumakin: Stop using my husband’s name to solicit for money” and disassociating the Odumakin’s family from our genuine intention to honour him and our own dear friend and hero in the Yoruba Self-determination Struggles.
The statement said that until this moment the N5million has not been accounted for by Vera Okei, despite the intervention of well-meaning personalities like the chairman of Central Burial Committee, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi and another important member of the Committee, Hon. Sola Lawal.
Explaining that the intransigence of Vera and her continuous claim that the “fund was meant those on the ground” (vide her voice notes as posted in the group Whatsapp forum) the committee was forced to issue another press statement as a damage control during the period, titled “Final memorial Plan of the Civil Society and Pro-Democracy Movement as agreed with the Odumakin’s family and Central Burial Committee of Yinka Odumakin” on behalf of our Group”
Continuing, Comrade Bamiji in the statement explained further that the Press Statement became necessary because of the reckless and continuous push by Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin through her paid employees and core loyalists, who, on the instruction of their leader, jointly opened another WhatsApp platform titled “Odumakin’s Real Accountability” out of protest against the closure or winding down or pulling down of the Odumakin’s Accountability Whatsapp Platform with about 250 members across the globe, in their collective bid to get the details of the account of every kobo donated by the Southwest Governors and individuals to the Civil Societies.
Exonerating the committee of any wrongdoing in the expenditure of the N5million collected by Vera, Comrade AWA Bamiji in the statement explained further:
“Up till now, this N5 million Naira has not been accounted for by Vera Okei and since it didn’t get to its destination, Civil Society Organisation and Pro-Democracy Movement for Yinka Odumakin’s and Innocent Chukwuma’s Burials, there’s no way we could acknowledge it but we must as a matter of urgency set the record straight for posterity’s sake and thank the people’s Governor at the Centre of Excellence, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, alias work in Progress, for his love for a peaceful atmosphere.
RELATED: Odumakin’s Demise: A Personal Loss To Me -Comrade AWA Bamiji
It will be recalled that prominent traditional, religious, political and civil society leaders, in the likes of Barrister Femi Falana, SAN; Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi; HRH Oba Odidiomo Afolabi, Olu of Igbokoda; Oba Comrade Abiodun Sowunmi; Comrades Segun Sowunmi, Segun Mayegun and other important people, too numerous to mention here, intervened in this matter of Odumakin’s Accountability and suggested the platform be closed down for the In-House settlement but this didn’t go down well with Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, who instructed Comrade Declan Ihekaire, to set up the Odumakin’s Accountability Platform despite a mutual agreement that it should be closed down immediately to enable the committee to know what went wrong in the process of projects’ execution during the 3-day burial.
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