With the general assumption that governors tend to do less once they secure a second term mandate, KUNLE ODEREMI examines the second term coming of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in Ondo State.
YOU should know that people can never be taken for a ride all the time… Politics is about the people and if you want to lead the people you must be consistent and live by example. These qualities are what will make people believe in you, and follow you. Those were the words of the acting chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Mr Ade Adetimehin, at the threshold of the governorship poll.
Of course, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) of the ruling APC secured a second term in office and took the oath of office on February 24, 2021. His path to victory was intriguing as he meandered through political landmines.
First, the governor, who was reportedly suspended by the national leadership of the APC got reprieve when he was given a clean bill of health by the Mai Mala Buni-led National Working Committee (NWC) that he had no issue relating to suspension. Clearly, opposition elements within the APC had been buoyed by the unconfirmed suspension of Akeredolu to heighten their onslaught, especially within the now disbanded Unity Forum.
Conscious of the jinx of the tendency of inertia by governors, nonetheless, Akeredolu hit the ground running after he was inaugurated on February 24 for second term in office. Barely a few hours after he was inaugurated, he embarked on the commissioning of legacy projects. A further impetus was added to the frenzy with a lecture delivered on February 23, by the president of the African Development Bank Group, Dr Akinwumi Adesina that attracted many eminent and distinguished citizens from all walks of life. The highly cerebral lecturer lamented that the Nigerian system is not federalism but “fatherism,” Adesina noted in the lecture with the theme: Towards a new Nigeria, From Federal Fatherism to a Commonwealth that the nation’s system is essentially a revenue-sharing system. He noted that states are “poor in the midst of plenty. They do not maximally explore or leverage what they already have in abundance. The federal system of monthly grants has paralysed them. This financial pilgrimage creates a sense of helplessness and overt dependency on the centre.”
The inauguration ceremony held at the International Centre For Culture and Event Centre (The DOME), and was attended by dignitaries across the country which included the National leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Bola Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, former president of the Senate, Ken Nnamani, Senator Iyiola Omisore, as well as Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti State); Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola (Osun); Prince Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Godwin Obaseki (Edo).
Action plan
Perhaps, the highpoint of policy thrust was the unveiling of a reviewed template of the action plan of his administration with the acronym JMPPR: J- Job creation through Agriculture, Entrepreneurship and Industrialisation; M- Massive Infrastructural Development and Maintenance;- Promotion of Functional Education and Technological Growth; P- Provision of Accessible and Qualitative Health Care And Social Service Delivery; R- Rural Development and Community Extension Services.
He noted that a lot of dynamics have come into play since he took over the reins of governance in 2017, identifying security challenges and the need to place more emphasis on energy as part of the reasons for the review. “I wish to state that we have been reviewing these programmes since our victory at the last election with a view to achieving more improvement in service delivery. Thus in the next four years, we will be pursuing a totally repackaged programme christened REDEEMED:R-Rural and Agricultural Development; E-Educational Advancement and Human Capital Development; D-Development through Massive Infrastructure; E-Efficient Service Delivery, Development and Policy Implementation; E-Effective Healthcare and social welfare Services; M-Maintenance of Law and Order for Adequate Security; E-Energy, Mining and Sustainable Industries; D-Digital Revolution and Entrepreneurship.”
While appreciating President Muhammadu Buhari for his support and the national leaders of the party among several others, Akeredolu, promised not depart from the trodden path that earned him affection and deep reverence from the citizenry. The governor said his administration would focus on agriculture and youth empowerment through entrepreneurship.
Thus, precisely 24 hours after his inauguration, he inaugurated sophisticated molecular laboratory and Public Health Laboratory in Akure as part of his efforts to improve the testing capacity on Covid-19 in the state, naming the building after the late Commissioner for Health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro, who he described as a dogged fighter, conscientious and committed citizen. Akeredolu, who identified a low capacity of testing due to the unavailability of functional and accredited laboratories to run highly technical tests, also described the commissioned building as a great asset to the state, saying: “At the outset of the outbreak, COVID-19 samples in Ondo State were taken to Ede in Osun State with an attendant delay of several days.
Later, the Federal Medical Centre, Owo was accredited which only slightly improved the system. Consequently, our administration resolved to address this situation head-on by establishing additional laboratory.”
And the day after the inauguration, Akeredolu commissioned the 16.75Km Akure-Idanre Road with a spur to Oke-Iya and Igisogba roads. Governor Akeredolu, who described the project as novel, observed that, “This project that is being commissioned is providing a new lease of life for our people by increasing the value of the adjoining property, increasing their disposable income by way of reduction in the wear and tear of our vehicles, reducing the travel time and accessibility to the city centre of Akure because the Oba Osupa Road–Hospital Road- Ijoka Road, when completed would be connected to this road. “We are not unaware that traffic from the Akure – Idanre and vice versa would be diverted here and that is why we have designed and constructed a road that would be able to withstand the axle load pressures of worst conditions.“
The immediate past Special Adviser on Works, Land and Infrastructure, Raimi Aminu, explained that the road was constructed to specifications. He said the road has 500 meters spur to Oke-Iya and 500m spur to Igisogba making the total length of the road 16.75 km. In his remarks, the acting chairman of the APC in the state, Ade Adetimehin, an indigene of Idanre, appreciated Governor Akeredolu for his love for the people of Idanre, adding that the governor had earlier commissioned a 7.5km township road within the first 100 days of his administration in 2017. The Owa of the Idanre kingdom, His Royal Majesty Oba Fredrick Adegunle Aroloye also thanked Governor Akeredolu for fulfilling his promise to the people of the hilly town.
Initial scare
There were initial scare in the bid by Akeredolu to secure a fresh mandate of voters. The once vociferous and dreaded Unity Forum rallied round Akeredolu a few days after the governorship primary following an unusual diplomatic shuttle by the governor. Governor Akeredolu even enlisted the services of APC national leader, Bola Tinubu to rein all supposedly aggrieved party leaders to back Akeredolu ahead of the election.
The likes of Chief Olusola Oke (SAN), Ambassador Sola Iji; an engineer, Ife Oyedele and many others, took the Aketi battle as their personal project and decimated, the Ondo South Senatorial district, especially of all of anti-Akeredolu remnants. Another fearful scenario Akeredolu survived was his ill-health in late 2019 when he was away for almost three months.
His return to base after about three weeks of rest in Abuja, rather than easing tension, exasperated it as the state was sharply divided into the Aketi/Ajayi camps. The fear of Ajayi, touted as a grassroots politician dumping the APC was most palpable. But it finally happened after several denials from him to that effect when the then deputy governor defected to the PDP.
The nation waited in animated breath, a repeat of the Ajasin/Omoboriowo scenario in Ondo as a straight contest between Akeredolu and Ajayi brewed if the later had emerged the PDP candidate. It did not because the then deputy governor lost the governorship primary to Jegede. But the battle was no over as Ajayi soon aligned with a former governor of the state, Olusegun Mimiko-led ZLP with assumptions of a titanic battle in the southern senatorial district, coupled with the pedigree of Mimiko. Akeredolu eventually won in the entire district, defeating Ajayi in his local government, Ese-Odo, where Niger-Delta activist and businessman, Chief Bibopre Ajube coordinated activities for the APC.
He also triumphed in Ondo West, East and Idanre Local Government Areas, thereby becoming the first governor to win 15 local government areas out of 18 with over 50 per cent. So, plans for the inauguration kick-started in November 2020 when Akeredolu constituted a 26-member committee to midwife a seamless programme with the now sworn in deputy governor, Honourable Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as chairman.
Before then, the governor summoned an extraordinary meeting of the now dissolved State Executive Council, where the cabinet members eulogizing his virtues, reliving the good moments they had together, just as Akeredolu used the occasion to reinforced his spirit of collective leadership. His words: “We must have made a mark. Don’t say I made a mark. We made a mark. That’s why when they write news for me, I change it and put ‘we.’ It is all of us. There is nothing we have achieved here without you. Nothing!
“Take it or leave it. So, you must take credit for it. Whatever is our achievement, the credit goes to all of you and all of us. Not one person. Everybody here has contributed his own quota in no small measure. Everybody and I mean it.”
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