A former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, yesterday explained why he could not refund money to the Economic Financial and Crimes Commission (EFCC) over his alleged misappropriation of state funds while in office between 2003 and 2007.

He said he did not steal state funds and it won’t be reasonable for anybody to expect him to refund what he did not steal.

An EFCC investigator, Abubakar Madaki, had recently testified against the former governor at the Federal High Court in Lagos that the former governor gave instructions in 2007 that the shares of the state which was worth N6.6 billion, be sold at discounted rates without the executive council’s resolution. The witness said the money allegedly went to Ladoja, his family and friends but Ladoja denied the allegation.

Ladoja who spoke with reporters yesterday at his Ibadan residence said, “It is true that I did not return any money to the anti-graft agency because I did not steal the state’s money. Why would I refund money when I did not steal any money? I am not bordered. It is true that EFCC said I didn’t not refund money. This is because I did not steal any money”.

On the crisis in the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, Ladoja said the party’s stakeholders had made its position known to the National Working Committee (NWC) of that party, adding that if the leadership of the party refused to act on time, the leaders and their followers may have no option than to leave. (Daily Trust)