Ondo state Governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu has described as wicked any attempt to link him with the murder of his Chief Security Officer, CSO, Tunde Awanebi who was killed in broad day light at the popular JideMac Supermarket, Ijoka Road, Akure, the Ondo State capital last week.

In an exclusive chat with editors of Pointblanknews, Governor Agagu said “in good conscience and before God and man, I don’t know anything about the dead of my CSO, I don’t know those who killed him and it is a matter of grave pain to me.”

There is a sharp disagreement between the officials of the Government of Ondo State, the family of late Awanebi and the other political group as to the possible motives behind the murder.

First daughter of the slain CSO, Mrs Funmi Wahab, had said that the killing of her father was politically motivated. Mrs. Wahab stated that her late father was murdered by those she said wanted him out of the political system, saying that people in government saw him as security threat “so the best option left for them was to eliminate him.”

The Labor Party, the main opposition political party in the state asked: "how come that the very day the CSO was dropped, he was shot dead? Who wants him dead but those who felt that he might spill the beans now that he had been unceremoniously eased out after being used for their dirty job? These are questions that the PDP must answer instead of pointing fingers at the wrong direction," Labor Party said.

However, Governor Agagu said that for anybody to suggest that he has knowledge of the killing is an act of extreme wickedness, insensitivity and politicizing the costly lost of a dedicated public servant.

He said it is a mere figment of imagination for people to think that he contemplated or had dropped the late CSO from his kitchen cabinet. “I never told him he was going to be dropped. He was not a member of my cabinet but he was a dedicated personal staff. He was completely loyal and competent and I have no regret for inviting him to serve in my administration. He completely made available his wealth of experience as a security expert and to the time he died we did not drop him.”

He continued: “even as I am talking to you, I don’t a CSO because I had not thought of appointing a replacement. So the same people who have always shunned out lies are the same people at work.

He said he would not join the fray to preempt or circumvent the attempt being made by homicide detectives and other security agencies to apprehend those who killed the late Awanebi.

Asked if he had cooperated fully with police investigators, the Governor was positive and said he was always available and would fully cooperate with investigators.

Governor Agagu accused the Labor Party in the state of introducing a frightening and dangerous violent twist to the politics of Ondo state. “As you aware, I have been in politics for a fairly long time. In 1991, I was the duly elected deputy Governor of the state. I also contested the Governorship of the state under the defunct UNCP. In 1999, I contested again and lost to Chief Adebayo Adefarati of blessed memory and four years ago, I contested again the governorship of Ondo state and won.”

“In those years, there was not a single case of violence whether we lost or we won. The Labor party has a resolute murderous attitude about grabbing power.”

He said 98 Labor Party thugs were apprehended at Ode Irele led by the Labor party’s Publicity Secretary in Ondo State and that the Labor party backers burnt over 28 houses in Ondo Town.

Although there accusations from the opposition parties in the state that an alleged murder, the Chairman of Ile-Oluji Oke Igbo Local Government, a member of the ruling party, have not been arrested

Reminded by poinblanknews that those incident nay be a way of showing anger over the alleged rigging of the elections, he strongly countered that there are lay down rules for registering political and personal grievances “that is if elections were rigged at all.”

“You people live in the United States. Tell me, can anyone resort to terrorist tactics to seek redress to a purported political injustice? Where you people live in the U.S people do not go violent in the name of political disagreement. Democracy is about the rule of law. This people love violent.”

Asked if he believes Labor Party is involved in the murder of the CSO, Governor Agagu maintained that “The Labor Party is threatening everyone and introducing violence in the state. Like I said, I do not want to join in the fray, I just want to allow the police to do their job and fish out the killers. Already, we have placed a N10 Million cash award for useful information leading to the murderers.”

“In good conscience, are you assuring the people of Ondo State that you do not have a hand in the killing of your CSO”? “Yes,” the governor answered emphatically.