The commissioner for Finance in Ondo state, Omowunmi Isaac has threatened to take legal action against the wife of her former boss and governor of Ondo state, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu over a statement credited to her in a Media interview.
Omowunmi however gave Mrs Akeredolu to Seven-Day ultimatum to retract her statements and apologize or face serious legal Battle from her.
This is contained in a letter dated Saturday 15th February, 2025, written, signed by her lawyer, Olugbenga Adeyemi and obtained by Roving Reporters on Sunday.
The letter reads;
RE: YOUR DEFAMATORY, SLANDEROUS AND LIBELOUS INTERVIEW TITLED “I WOULDN’T BE A WIDOW IF AKETI HAD LISTENED TO ME”
We act as Solicitors to Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac, the current Commissioner of Finance, Ondo State (hereinafter simply referred to as “our Client”) on whose behalf and at whose behest we write you in respect of and concerning the interview you granted an online news outlet, Starnews on February 13, 2025 which interview can be accessed vide its website, www.starnews.com.ng https://www.starnews.com.ng/i-wouldnt-be-a-widow-if-aketi-had-listened-to-me-betty-akeredolu-talks-tough/@
That defamatory, slanderous and libelous interview is titled: “I wouldn’t be a widow if Aketi had listened to me” It was anchored on behalf of the Starnews by one Olumide Akinrinola.
In the middle of the interview, the following question was posed:
“Ondo State Politics:
Regarding Ondo State politics, some people have said (not our opinion), that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is not in charge of governance and that his Finance Commissioner has taken over. What’s your reaction to this?”
And, you falsely, wickedly, slanderously, libelously, mischievously, callously, incorrectly and deliberately answered concerning our Client thus:
“No comments. However, it’s worth noting that this same Commissioner was sacked from her position during Aketi’s first administration for financial malfeasance. You can connect the dots as to why Lucky brought her back. We are watching”.
Your malicious interview has been shared and disseminated by other online and print news media like Punch Newspapers, Tribune Online, Daily Post Nigeria, Vanguard News, The Cable, PM News Nigeria, Platform Times, Sahara Reporters and Pulse Nigeria.
Although, your said comment concerning our Client has neither any verifiable nor truthful substratum, the fact remains that its primary object was/is to embarrass, humiliate, ridicule, slander, libel, defame, harass and intimidate our Client, her family and the Government she represents and subject them to public ridicule and opprobrium of monumental dimension. Needless to say that you ended up achieving this illegal and ungodly objective.
By alleging that our Client was “sacked from her position during Aketi’s first administration for financial malfeasance” without any reason or basis, you have no doubt, assaulted and damaged her credibility as a Politician, high ranking Public Officer and the custodian of the treasury/funds of Ondo State, Ondo state Commissioner for Finance. To accuse a woman of our Client’s standing, pedigree, status, background and achievement in such a reckless manner is a most unkind cut. It is also a wild mischief. By your said erroneous pronouncements and comments, you have portrayed our Client as a woman lacking in integrity, greedy, a person incapable of holding public office, a person who possess the potential to steal from the public, an unworthy and unreliable fellow, a person who can or could convert public funds to her personal use, a woman who will always betray public trust reposed in her and an unkind fellow.
Not done yet in your destructive mission, you went ahead to falsely accuse our Client as follows:
“You can connect the dots as to why Lucky brought her back. We are watching”
Clearly, what your said interview and hatchet job clearly set out to achieve was/is to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of our Client and completely flatten her currency. You have presented her to the world as a woman employed by the Governor, His Excellency, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to steal on his behalf and for herself, a common criminal who indulges in high-scale and/or massive fraud, a woman who is ever ready to steal from the public purse and further impoverish the Ondo State people.
Considering the magnitude of the deliberate and alarming falsehood concocted and contained in your said interview, it is apt and expedient to state in clear terms that:
1. Our Client was never sacked by the Government of His Excellency, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu but was reassigned or redeployed in December 1, 2019 from her position as Director-General of the Ondo state Bureau for Public Procurement to Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Budget and Economic Planning. For the avoidance of doubt, the full text of Governor Akeredolu’s redeployment letter is here in below published:
“As part of the efforts to further strengthen his administration for optimum performance, Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN has approved the appointment of Mr. Tolu Fadahunsi as the Director-General of the Ondo State Bureau for Public Procurement. Mr. Fadahunsi is to take over from Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac, who has been reassigned as a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Budget and Economic Planning. Both appointments shall take effect from December 1, 2019. The Governor congratulates the new appointees and wishes them success in their respective assignments”
2. Our Client served with truthfulness, faithfuiness, honesty and integrity before and during the tenure of the late Governor Akeredolu.
3. Contrary to your insinuation, our Client is a prudent manager of public funds and economy.
It will amount to a gross understatement to say that your slanderous, libelous and outrageous interview under reference has thoroughly embarrassed our Client and her immediate and political families. It has also greatly damaged our Client’s credibility both within and outside Nigeria. No wonder she has been inundated with calls, e-mails, letters from friends, associates, colleagues etc in Nigeria and beyond, asking her to confirm or deny your wild, wide and most wicked allegations. Some Nigerians and netizens have also reacted to the online news by condemning the alleged dishonesty and irresponsibility of our Client.
Arising from the foregoing, we have our Client’s instruction to demand from you as follows:
i. A retraction of your said malicious, slanderous and libelous interview within 7 days of your receipt of this letter, which retraction should be published in the self-same www.starnews.com.ng @ https://www.starnews.com.ng/i-wouldnt-be-a-widow-if-aketi-had-listened-to-me-betty-akeredolu-talks-tough/and disseminated to other online news outlets in Nigeria and all over the world which earlier carried and published the interview.
ii. Tendering and publishing an unreserved apology in the same way and manner as the retraction.
TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that should you fail, refuse or neglect to comply with these simple and consequential demands within the time herein stipulated, our final instruction is to commence legal proceedings against you claiming aggravated/exemplary damages, injunctive and other incidental reliefs. This shall be without further notice to you.
PP: Gbenga Adeyemi & Co.
Olugbenga Adeyemi, Esq.
