Less than 48 hours to the inauguration of the new governor elect in Ondo state, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, the State police command said adequate security machineries have been put in place to ensure hitch free inauguration.
Speaking on the command’s preparedness, the State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) Femi Joseph, hinted that over 5,000 will deployed to various location within the state capital of Akure.
Joseph said apart from this, the command is also expecting manpower from sisters command saying the state Commissioner of Police, Hilda Harrison had written to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abubakar Idris to ensure peace and orderliness during the inauguration.
He said “we are very well prepared in terms of security and we have put several measures in place to ensure that nothing goes awry during the event.”
Joseph said further that the command has also put in place “what we call Operation Order for event like this. This Operation Order will spell out and specify in details the activities to be performed by every police officer.”
He said the command has also deployed intelligence officers to other towns not only in Akure but across the state.
According to him, the venue of the inauguration, the Akure Township Stadium will be well fortified while anti bomb experts have been deployed within and outside the stadium and other strategic location within Akure will be manned by police officers.
He said various Hotels within the state including Owo, Ondo, Okitipupa and other places where guests were lodged will be given adequate security cover.
Joseph said “we might want to cause slight disturbance around the Stadium that day but we have pleaded with the residents so that they can cooperate with us and they have shown understandings.
“We have also appealed to religious leaders to cooperate with us in order not to give room to easy flow of traffic on that Friday.”
Speaking on the activities for the inauguration ceremony, the state commissioner for Information said the formal handover of the instrument of governance will take place today at the Executive council Chambers, Government Secretariat in Alagbaka around 2:00pm.
He said the Swearing in Ceremony of the governor elect, Rotimi Akeredolu and his Deputy, Agboola Ajayi will come up on Friday, saying all machineries have been put in place to ensure success of the event.
A member of the Inauguration committee and a Chieftain of All Progressive Congress (APC) who spoke on condition of anonymity, said solid arrangement had been put in place by the party and the outgoing government to ensure a world class ceremony on Friday.
According to him, the inauguration is going to be a major carnival and first of its kind in the history of the state.
The APC chieftain however lamented that the committee is facing the challenges of fund saying the state Accountant General has been elusive for some days and his absence has been hindering execution of some the programmes.
He however said no fewer than 5,000 VIPs are expected during the inauguration saying some of them include, State governors, Ministers, Ambassadors and leaders of APC across the country.
He disclosed that the National leaders of the party including Senator Bola Tinubu and Bisi Akande will be attending the inauguration.
According to him, “the advanced team of Tinubu are in town now, the entourage of the Kogi state governor are here too
No fewer than 20,000 people across the 18 local government areas of the state would be witnessing the inauguration of our new government. I am assuring that this inauguration will be best”
Meanwhile, the capital city of Akure is wearing a new look towards the inauguration of Akeredolu while the stadium, the venue of the event is under serious renovations. Workers were seen putting finishing touches to se of the structures at the venue of the inauguration.
However, Tribune Online learnt there is a major supremacy battle between the new governor elect and his Deputy. The new Deputy governor was said to have hijacked the political structure from the new governor elect.
Agboola and some other political leaders of APC were fingered in the crisis that engulfed the State House of Assembly which does not go down well with Akeredolu.