The Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu has joined issues with those accusing him of corrupt enrichment and embezzlement of public funds to the tune of $3 Billion saying that he has never stolen in his public or private life.

Fielding questions from Editors of the stable of Pointblanknews.com, Governor Agagu said that “I have never tampered with or stolen public funds all my life,” saying that the hallmark of his administration in Ondo State has been public accountability and accountable stewardship.

Opposition politicians in Ondo State had alleged that over N300 Million was allocated to the administration of Governor Agagu from Federal revenue allocation in his first four Years in office and that infrastructural collapse in the state is a clear indication that funds were misappropriated and embezzled.

Also, according to a Judicial Panel report of Justice Obiora Nwazota which probed the defunct Nigeria Airways financial books from1983 to 1999, in recommendation 32 and 33, Agagu was required to “refund the sum of $3.2 Million to the national treasury being the sums he stole from the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited, NAL being part settlement of the botched lease purchase agreement.”

The recommendation of the Judicial Panel was adopted by ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo while in office.

However, the well known Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, which so far has successfully proved to be the nemesis of many Nigeria’s political executives, could not include Governor Agagu in its list of guilty Governors a fact that the Governor gloated about during the interview with Pointblanknews.com.

Agagu said “sir, my name is not on that list of corrupt Governors in EFCC and I am sure you have access to the list and there is no way you will find my name their.”

He explained that the purported indictment in the Aviation inquiry was politically motivated and said that when the issue was taking to the law court as to where his detractors got the claim that he was found guilty by the panel that his accusers were confused and told the judge that the source of their allegations were an unsubstantiated newspaper report.

He said that that the aviation panel was his creation and that its terms of reference was to cover the period of 1983 to 1999 and that his tenure as Minister of Aviation was off the purview of the commission of inquiry.

“Those people who constitute themselves as opposition are liars and it is a shame that people who tell lies want to rule Ondo State. They have refused to see our massive investment on Education, Health and every facet of life in Ondo State. They are the only ones who believe the lies they tell,” Agagu said.

Governor Agagu disclosed that the same “disgruntled political elements” who had desperately tried to annihilate him without success were the same people peddling unfounded allegations of impropriety about him and his leadership in Ondo State.

He said that their was a failed attempt on his life when his office in Akure was bombed, saying the same evil motivation was responsible for the killing of his CSO, Tunde Awanebi

Agagu stated that, “right from the primaries within the PDP where I won over 90 per cent of the votes to the Governorship elections in the state where I won with over 53.4 per cent of the total votes cast, I have enjoyed overwhelming support of Ondo State people because they know better than our disgruntled accusers.”

“Are you saying you have never stolen public funds”? “Yes, I have never stolen public funds,” he quipped.