Omisore said this in an interview with our correspondent in Osogbo.
Aregbesola had earlier challenged Omisore to a public debate to tell the people their manifestos.
Although Omisore said he was ready for the challenge he added that he must be assured that Aregbesola would not assault him with state boys and thugs allegedly being raised by the All Progressives Congress’ candidate.
Omisore said, “How can I be afraid of engaging him in a debate? But when argument is being drawn between two unequal parties, the weaker of the two may result to physical assault and harassment. We don’t want this to happen.
“Aregbesola has not hidden the fact that he has personal hatred for me and people tell me all sorts of lies he fabricates to disparage me. You don’t expect more than that from a barely literate politician like him.
“You remember that Aregbesola presented O’level to INEC. So we need an assurance that Ogbeni will not resort to assault if he is confronted with hard facts with evidence.
“Once we are assured that decorum will be allowed and that our safety is guaranteed, I am ready for the debate.
“Ogbeni Aregbesola has state boys, a group he is rearing and going to participate in a debate with violent people with array of thugs will be too much of a risk to take for us.”
Omisore, who also accused the APC government of massive corruption, said that contracts were awarded without following the provisions of the Procurement Act.
According to him, sidestepping the due process in contract award is a serious offence, which any leader who professes to be transparent must avoid.
He said, “Transparency and accountability are very important in governance. You are put in office based on the trust of the people. But as soon as the APC government came on board, Aregbesola scrapped due process. Now, there is no way you can track down government expenses.
The PDP candidate further alleged that the administration awarded contracts to godfathers, relations and party leaders, especially persons from outside the state without executing the projects.
“Let us go to the so-called opon imo. This is an N8.4 billion scam handled by his own biological son. Now, they are withdrawing them from the pupils. The device is valueless and it is just for profit-making and nothing else.
“In opon imo, we have 17 subjects and 87 per cent errors precisely. I went through it and I analyzed it. For instance, in opon imo, there is no single graph in mathematics, no single illustrative table and no single diagram. You can’t teach mathematics without graphs, without histograms, without tables and without diagrams,” he added.
But the Director of Publicity of Aregbesola Camapign Organisation, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, when contacted, said Omisore had shown that he was afraid of engaging Aregbesola in a debate.
Oyatomi said the PDP candidate was aware he would have no answer to some questions which would be directed at him and decided to give “lame excuses to cover up.”
He said, “Omisore is afraid of his own shadow and that is why he is giving such excuses. But I think we have gone beyond that.
“It is obvious that Omisore is afraid because he knows very well that he cannot match Aregbesola intellectually and even in oratory.
“How many people has Aregbesola assaulted? Let him tell the whole world if he knows of such. The man is a liar and he will stop at nothing to hide his deficiencies, he knows he cannot match Aregbesola.
To those who have had contact with Aregbesola, they know that he can discuss any subject at any time you meet him. He is always ready, he is not timid unlike those who are running away when nobody is pursuing.
“They know the evil they have done and they can’t come to the public because they will be asked questions.”
Reacting to the alleged lack of transparency in Aregbesola administration, the APC spokesperson said that it was sad the former deputy governor, who was impeached and removed, was the one accusing Aregbesola of corruption.
He added that Aregbesola was very transparent adding that even heads of Federal Government agencies had lauded the governor publicly for his honesty and excellent management skills.
Oyatomi said Aregbesola had taken governance in the state beyond the reach of opportunists, saying that was why they were engaging in campaigns of calumny to discredit him.
“Ask him what he did when he served in the Senate. He was in the Senate for eight years and we challenged him to mention just one thing he did in Ile Ife for the eight years he spent at the Senate.
“Aregbesola is transparent and those of them in the PDP know that they cannot fault him on this.”
Source: Punch
