WIFE of Oyo State governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, has attributed the rumor of her purported arrest in London, United Kingdom, to the handiwork of mischief makers who are latching on to dirty politics to tarnish her reputation.
Speaking on arrival from London on Wednesday morning at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, aboard a Virgin Atlantic Airways flight, which arrived at 6.50 am, she described as laughable the rumor of her arrest, saying that she only travelled last Sunday to London to accompany her child, who resumed school there.
Mrs. Ajimobi said she was not surprised over the capacity of people to peddle rumour, as part of the renowned dirty politics of Oyo State, saying, however, that the true test of any human being is ability to stand firm in times of crisis and controversy.
“I am here live as you can see. I have never had any encounter with the London Metropolitan Police and I know I will never have (one),” she said.
“It is just rumor like you said, but I think the time has come for us in Nigeria to stop playing dirty politics. We should be very objective when we are giving information, in particular, members of the press.
“We should verify the information we are giving, and I just want to use this medium to say that the ultimate measure of any man or woman, is where you stand in times of conflict, challenges and controversy and not in times of comfort.
“I stand on the solid rock of Jesus Christ; all other grounds are sinking sand. It is a phase which will pass over; this is because I am more than a conqueror.
“It is the price I have to pay as the wife of a politician, in particular in Oyo State, where there is record of dirty politics. I do not have any blemish in my wardrobe, and I am never going to have any.
“It was also alleged that I had travelled out of this country for 52 times; that sounds very ridiculous to me; it means I don’t even live in Nigeria. My international passport is there for record, I can give my passport to you to photocopy and verify and return to me,’’ she said.
On her mission to London, Mrs Ajimobi said: “I have a 14-year old daughter who has been in England since 2007. Every parent who has children over there knows the system; she is still in secondary school; and you have to go and pick them up from school; there are no exemptions that that they are international students, you cannot say because my husband is a politician, because I am married to a politician, I should shelve my responsibility as a mother; I have to manage my home, take care of my children and play the role of a good mother, a responsible mother, a committed mother in addition to my responsibilities as wife of a politician’’.
Mrs. Ajimobi further said: “For me, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. If they (the architects of the rumour) have the fear of God, they will stop being mischievous; they should think before they act; they should have the fear of God as well, in their mind, because at the end of the day, there is a judgement day , and all us will be accountable for our actions.
“I don’t begrudge them, but I just know they have God to contend with, because if you want to destroy my image, the reputation I have kept and maintained for over 32 years, I have kept that name, and for anybody to come at this moment to tarnish that name, they will have God to contend with and I know that they will pay it’’.