Politics

Stakeholders divided as Aiyedatiwa marks 100 days in office

Published by

3 days ago

This week, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State will be 100 days in office. HAKEEM GBADAMOSI writes on the issues trailing the activities of the administration, as the governor keeps people in suspense on when he hopes to appoint members of his cabinet.

IT is 100 days since Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State was sworn in after his victory in the election. His victory was not only historic but unprecedented, considering the fact that he recorded landslide in all the 18 local government areas of the state. He is the first deputy governor to be directly elected to the position of governor in the state since its creation in 1976.

Aiyedatiwa was sworn in on February 24, marking the beginning of his first full four-year term after completing his joint tenure with the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who died in 2023 after a prolonged illness. However, his administration’s 100 days in office, which falls on June 3, has been trailed by commendations and criticisms. The governor, who vowed to continue to prioritize the welfare of the people, foster economic growth and ensure that the state remains a beacon of hope and prosperity for generations to come, through his administration’s New Development Agenda, ‘O’ Datiwa, O’ Dirorun’ (OUR EASE), has continued to govern the state without assembling his cabinet team but with just two commissioners. Nonetheless, he had made it known from day one that “we are in a hurry to justify this fresh mandate entrusted to us.”

Aiyedatiwa had added: “In the next four years, we will work with interested investors and our development partners in ensuring that our Port Ondo becomes a reality. We will also facilitate investors to explore our large deposits of bitumen for local use and export purposes, thereby generating huge revenue to the state. “We will focus on seven key pillars — order, security and rule of law; urban/rural development via agriculture and blue economy; revolutionary tech advancement and industrialization; efficient healthcare and socio-economic welfare; adequate power and affordable energy; sustainable infrastructure development and tourism, as well as education, human capital development and entrepreneurship.”

However, the government, speaking through the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, listed the achievements of his boss in the last 100 days to include, Upgrade/Conversion of RUGIPO to University, payment of N633m for 23,000 as WASSCE fees and the disbursement of grants to 1000 low-income women. Others, according to Adeniyan, are employment of over 2000 teachers in both primary and secondary schools, launching of 1:1 textbook-to-learner ratio with distribution of books, tablets and sports equipment to elementary schools, recording of 82.6 percent in domestic debt reduction, highest in the country and the rehabilitation of 50 primary healthcare facilities across the state.

A chieftain of APC, Adeyeri Stephen, said the achievements surpassed those of his predecessors in the history of the state, especially in the area of infrastructure and education. He said: “Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has made significant strides in Ondo State, achieving feats that surpass those of his predecessors and setting unprecedented records in the state’s history. His administration’s focus on infrastructure, education, workers’ welfare, and rural development has brought about notable improvements across the state. Under Governor Aiyedatiwa’s leadership, several key road projects have been initiated and completed, enhancing connectivity and boosting economic activities. The Aiyedatiwa administration has made the provision of infrastructure and social amenities a priority.”

But a cross-section of the people said nothing has been achieved by the new administration of Aiyedatiwa in the last three months, while some believed that his government has feared beyond their expectations, especially in the area of infrastructure in the last three months. While some residents said the time is not enough to assess the performance of the governor because it constitutes less than six percent of his four-year tenure, some maintained that it was sufficient enough for a governor who is ready for governance to lay a solid foundation, and prepare the policy direction of his administrations. Many respondents said the inability of the governor to constitute his cabinet shows that the government is not yet ready for serious business, because some commissioners are supposed to be appointed by now, and these lieutenants if appointed, are to help him formulate and drive the policy thrust of his government. Speaking, a resident of the state, Albert Gbemilekeola said: “This is not a time to experiment, Aiyedatiwa should shop for best hands; people who understand his visions for the state. People that will help him leave his footprints in the sands of time. Aiyedatiwa should understand how hard the people fought for him to get this mandate while in trenches and denied the opportunity to govern the state, they should be compensated. Governance might not be a tea party but he should employ and invite good hands who can work with him to build new Ondo State.”

The governor has so far appointed two commissioners into his cabinet after his inauguration: Kayode Ajulo, as the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, and Mrs Omowumi Isaac as the Commissioner for Finance. To some APC members, if there is any area or sector which Aiyedatiwa has failed to excel in the last three months, it is in managing the party structure that produced his electoral victory. A prominent member of APC in the state complained about the failure of the governor to handle the aftermath of his victory very well.

According to him, “The first steps taken by the governor were going for his perceived rivals who were not in the same camp with him during the primaries. The state Chairman of APC, Ade Adetimehin, was the first casualty, and was nearly sent packing from office in a midnight coup by some people believed to be loyalists of the governor. It takes the intervention of Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other South West leaders of the party to save Adetimehin. The APC chieftain said this singular unpopular adventure by some desperate supporters and political followers of the governor is a minus to him, as it polarised the party, saying it is just too early to stir any controversy which may affect the governor’s popularity and the party. The APC stalwart advised the state governor, Aiyedatiwa, to concentrate on governance and stop chasing shadow in his current moves to amend a key constitutional provision that could potentially block him from contesting the 2028 governorship election.

The governor said his government was not resting on the task of keeping the state safe for business and living to usher unprecedented development in the state, saying security remains a top priority for his administration. Aiyedatiwa said his government has been actively supporting security outfits to ensure peace and stability in the state, and assured the people of the state that his administration will continue to put issues affecting the security of lives and property on the priority list. He said his administration has provided significant support to security outfits, including the police, Amotekun Corps, and other agencies, equipping them with the necessary resources to enhance their operations.

However, while some state workers hailed the governor for the regular payment of salaries, gratuities and pension and employment of teachers for schools in the state, some said the governor had performed below expectations in the area of project execution. A senior civil servant in the state noted that some of projects embarked upon by late Akeredolu have been abandoned.

The Ondo State Director Media & Publicity of APC said, “Education remains a top priority for Governor Aiyedatiwa, who recognizes it as a fundamental industry for the people of Ondo State. Regular meetings and forums have been established, allowing members to discuss critical issues affecting our communities and contribute to the development of the state. This collaborative approach has enabled our members to serve in advisory roles and provide valuable feedback on government plans. We are particularly pleased with the renewed efforts to tackle security challenges in the state. The Governor has bolstered the security framework by investing in the Amotekun Corps, which has led to a noticeable reduction in criminal activities. Additionally, the establishment of six new security points in forested areas aims to curb illegal mining and logging. With the slogan “Our Ease,” Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration is committed to infrastructure and economic growth, human capital development, and ensuring peace and security, all of which bode well for the future of Ondo State. We look forward to continued progress and partnership as we work together to build a better Ondo State for all.”

But while expressing dismay at the turn of events, the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through the media and publicity director of Agboola Ajayi campaign organization, Ayo Fadaka, said the governor has run the most bizarre government ever known under Nigeria’s democracy, with his failure to appoint an executive cabinet well after 100 days in office. He said: “These last 100 days represents a very challenging period in Ondo State, insecurity reared its ugly head, bared its fangs and actually consumed over 60 citizens of this state. It is a testy period for us and even as we speak the scourge is unabating, still recording casualties every day. Some three days back, hapless church goers in a village, Ogbese to be precise, were kidnapped and their loved ones are still scrambling to raise money for their release. Insecurity is growing by the leaps and only a very serious response by Mr Governor can abort this ugly development, it is getting to the level that people are now plucked in their houses, as it happened in the Nelson Adepoyigi case.”

Fadaka underscored the fact that adequate response to insecurity must be multilayered; communities must no longer sit back idly, expecting a central response. They must take the battle back to these criminals and combat them squarely. He added: “Local Governments too have a role to play, they must immediately create their own security outfit to tackle them or else the experience of the Northern States will in no time be replicated here. I must say it is amusing that Mr Governor is still finding it difficult to put in place a full State Executive Council, I think that is tardiness. Nothing should hinder the governor from assembling a team that will join him to work in the interest of the state. If the problem is due to the unavailability of good materials in his party, let him cast his net far and wide, after all, the entire state is his constituency.”

However, all eyes are on Aiyedatiwa to see how far he can go in years ahead, as many believe 100 days are not enough to assess a new government. But the people of the state, his party members, are impatient to see the best of the governor. The time is ticking, he needs to roll up his sleeves and get cracking.