A socio-political group, Ondo Redemption Front (ORF), expressed concern on Monday over the continued absence of the state Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, in the state after his return from a medical vacation in Germany.
The group condemned the relocation of the state machinery to Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, after the governor’s return from his medical vacation, stating that Akeredolu’s absence is responsible for the collapse of governance in the state.
Speaking during a press conference in Akure, the chairman of the group, Mr Ayodeji Ologun, and his co-chairman, Mr Olufemi Lawson Kayode, said relocating the machinery of government to Ibadan is an indication that some elements had hijacked the government from him because of his state of health.
The group also criticised the Ondo State House of Assembly for overlooking Akeredolu’s continued stay in Ibadan, stating that it is the duty of the lawmakers to question the Governor’s refusal to resume his duty post.
According to Ologun, government officials and lawmakers had turned Ibadan into the seat of power for Ondo State, while documents were being signed in the Ibadan home of the state governor.
He specifically criticised the members of the state House of Assembly for instigating violence and anarchy over the impeachment process served on the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The group’s chairman criticised the political class for neglecting their primary duties, stating that they have failed to attend to the needs of the people of the state, especially concerning the state of roads and flooding in the riverine area of the state.
The group stated, “While Akeredolu returned to the country, for over two weeks since his return to Nigeria in a controversial manner, he has not been sighted in the state.
“He has been hiding somewhere in Ibadan and has been operating through proxies, thereby making governance in the state to be carried out in secrecy.
“Also worthy of mention is the fact that since the return of Akeredolu and his refusal to resume his official duty post for the governance of the state, a situation is causing serious apprehension in the state.”
The group noted that the state was grounded during Akeredolu’s absence, emphasising that the governor was reluctant to transmit power to his deputy.
They stated, “It is no longer news that, for the last six months or thereabout, the state has been facing leadership challenges due to the unfortunate ill health of the Governor of the state, leading to his departure abroad for medical interventions.
“We should also remind ourselves that it took the interventions of various stakeholders to prevail on Akeredolu to transmit power to his deputy, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in line with the 1999 constitution, to act as the Governor of the state while he was to embark on a medical trip outside the country.
“It is also important to state that throughout the period Akeredolu sojourned for a medical trip abroad, governance in Ondo State became impossible as a result of individuals who constituted themselves into a cabal and claimed to be defending the interests of the ailing Governor, and in the process, incapacitated Aiyedatiwa from acting as the Governor of the state, a process that led to the collapse of governance in Ondo State.”
“The Ondo State House of Assembly has decided to add salt to injury by instigating violence, anarchy, and orchestrating a breakdown of law and order by embarking on an unjustified and unwarranted process of impeachment of the Deputy Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, at the expense of the peace, stability, and welfare of the people of Ondo State.
“As a group, we strongly believe that politics should be the least of the worries of the political class in Ondo State at the moment, but the delivery of good governance is in the overriding interest of the people of the state.
Our people have been cheated over time with no progressive impact on their daily lives.”
Speaking on Akeredolu and his deputy’s feud, “While we don’t hold a brief for the embattled deputy governor, we warn sternly too that the state House of Assembly should recuse itself from the whims and caprices of those who are bent on holding the state by the jugular without carrying the mandate of the people.
“We are not unaware that this is not about accountability, as the house wants us to believe, but a vendetta by a class of crass opportunists who have unfettered access to the resources of the state occasioned by the incapacity of the governor.
“In view of the above-stated and the contemplation of Section 11(1)(4)(5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we hereby implore the National Assembly to call on the Ondo State House of Assembly to order in the overriding interest of the people of the state and the country at large.”
But in reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Richard Olatunde, said the location of the governor is not in any way hindering any form of development in the state.
Olatunde said Akeredolu has been attending official assignments and holding meetings with crucial stakeholders to discuss matters of state importance, showcasing his commitment to the state’s development irrespective of his location.
“As of this moment, construction work is in progress at the Onyarubulem-Shagari/Irese flyover, which is a significant landmark as the first flyover in Akure, the state capital, since Ondo State was created.
“This administration also constructed the first flyover in the state at Ore, further emphasising its commitment to infrastructural development.
“The Governor, last week, instructed the Ministry of Infrastructure, Lands, and Housing to commence the permanent rehabilitation of the Akure-Owena-Ondo Road.
“This action was taken to prevent unnecessary hardship and loss of life on the federal highways located within Ondo State territory.
“To alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy removal, the state government, through the palliative committee led by the Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa, is actively distributing palliatives to the state’s residents.
Moreover, the state’s free school shuttle buses have resumed operations, providing transportation for children to school.
Civil servants are also benefiting from special transportation arrangements to and from work.
“The government is not only functional but also actively advancing the state’s development.
The location of the Governor, therefore, should not be sensationalised, but rather, the focus should be on the tangible progress being made in the state.”
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