Agagu’s family reacts – Ondo Govt. Lied, we are not responsible for the hiring of the plane.

THE family of the late governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Agagu, on Wednesday, reacted to the reports over the hiring of the ill fated Associated Airline that crashed in Lagos last week.

A statement by a brother of the ex-governor, Femi Agagu and made available to newsmen in Akure, said the family was not responsible for the hiring of the plane.

Reacting to a statement by the Commissioner for Information in the state, Kayode Akinmade, which said the state government was not responsible for the hiring of the aircraft, the family said it was necessary to put the record straight.

The statement by the family read: “Our attention has been attracted to media reports credited to Ondo State government, claiming it was not responsible for hiring the ill-fated Associated Airline aeroplane, which conveying the remains of Dr Olusegun Agagu, crashed last week Thursday.

“Specifically credited with the rebuttal was Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, who reportedly stated on records that the Ondo State government did not know anything about how the aeroplane, which killed 15 people and maimed 5, was chattered.

“Ordinarily at this period of mourning, when the people of Ondo State grieve for the departed citizens and other compatriots who lost their lives in the ill fated journey, decorum, sincerity and solemnity should guide all utterances and actions.

“Again the Agagu family is constrained to react because of this obvious and unneccesary twisting and manipulation of the truth and verifiable facts about the hiring of the plane and other issues connected to the funeral arrangements of the late Dr Olusegun Agagu.

“While appreciating the immense support of the state government since the demise of Dr Olusegun Agagu, we would like to stress again and again that the choice and hiring of the ill-fated plane from Associated Airline was not that of the family. Indeed, the family had no interraction whatsoever with Associated Airlines.

“While the choice of MIC undertakers was a collective decision of both the government and Agagu family in view of MIC’s status as one of the best undertakers in the country, the contracts for the purchase of the casket, the hiring of the hearse, arrangement for the flying of the corpse from Lagos to Akure, the planning of the lying-in-state, as well as the transportation to Iju Odo were strictly between Ondo State government and MIC.

“The family had no business or direct interaction with MIC. As a matter of fact, the letter from MIC inviting us to come and pick the casket was routed through the Ondo State government.

“As had been said severally, the only role performed by the family was to, on the invitation of the government, point at the casket we wanted. How much it cost and how much was paid, as well how the money was paid remains between the state government and MIC Caskets.”