These are not the best of times in Ondo state. They are not the worst of times, either. Nothing in the governance crisis in the state in the last few months comes remotely close to the 1983 political crisis being invoked by some commentators. In that crisis, the state was totally paralysed. Some people were killed and their property destroyed. Others ran away from the state or went into hiding, while the majority held their breath. I was as much a witness of the 1983 crisis as I am of the present governance crisis in the state.
Without a doubt, the current situation in Ondo state could have been better than they are but for the behaviour and selfish actions of a few characters, notably, the Deputy Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa. However, before I get to his case, it is important to briefly examine the facilitating factors that brought him to the fore.
The key factor is Governor Rotimi Odunayo Akeredolu’s illness. It is easy to blame him now that the state also has caught his illness. However, he did what was necessary to ensure that the state remained healthy. Basically, he did major two things.
First, he did what he could to move the state forward in key sectors. A few examples will suffice. One key area is the growth of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue from about N670 million to over N3 billion per month. He worked hard at it, by developing new policies and structures, such as the ODRIS building complex opposite the famous Dome, and hiring a whole complement of staff for tax collection. As of the latest assessment, Ondo had the fastest growing IGR among the 36 states. Interestingly, at least in terms of traffic and patronage, Akure Airport is also the fastest growing state airport in the country.
With available resources, Governor Akeredolu was able to construct or renovate over 500 kilometers of roads and over 800 primary and secondary schools throughout the state. He also constructed a fly-over bridge at Ore to ease the heavy traffic flow and accidents at the junction of the Sagamu-Benin and Ondo-Okitipupa roads. Similarly, he commenced the very first flyover bridge in Akure, the state capital, to ease traffic congestion. He piloted the University of Medical Sciences at Ondo and the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology at Okitipupa to full accreditation of all their programmes. He also established the UNIMED Teaching Hospital Complex, by converting the State Specialist Hospitals at Akure and Ondo into Teaching Hospitals. This was complemented with a 200-bed building complex each at Akure and Ondo. Over 500 hospital staff, including about 200 doctors, were also hired.
He took similar strides in Agriculture and the Blue Economy, by ramping up on Public-Private Partnership in agricultural and industrial production. For example, he developed the Red Gold Project, focusing on large scale palm oil cultivation and processing in partnership with the National Oil Palm Producing Association of Nigeria. Accordingly, an oil palm plantation was birthed with over 12,000 hectares of newly planted oil palm. In addition to the Ore-Irele Ondo is fast emerging
Other projects have also taken root at the Ore Industrial Park. One is the Gas Inland LPG Terminal developed in partnership with Alles Charis LPG to produce large inland storage. Another is the Linyi Hub, which has so far developed five industries, with additional three underway. To boost the industrial plans, license was obtained for a deep seaport. The fact that none of these projects is located in your neighbourhood or that the road leading to your house (like mine in Idanre) has not seen the hand of the government at all does not mean that the government has not been doing anything as some in the media would like to make us believe.
The second major thing Akeredolu did to ensure that the state remained healthy, while he was away, was to transfer power to his Deputy. Unfortunately, however, the erstwhile trusted Deputy became so over-ambitious as to have betrayed the trust. Once power was transferred to him, his focus shifted from the state to himself. He focused on how he would be the substantive Governor after the anticipated demise of his boss. He also started work on he would win the governorship election next year. In service of these objectives, he started obtaining, or making requests for, funds, which are all documented in the allegations against him by the House of Assembly. He even started doling out positions, including that of his Deputy, in anticipation of electoral victory. It was even alleged that he promised the Deputy position to more than one person!
What is worse, he allegedly released his boss’s medical records and maligned him through his aides, who engaged in a negative media blitz against the Governor. Those records were said to have been obtained surreptitiously through female aides close to the Governor. Trust politicians! Aiyedatiwa’s moves quickly led to divisions within the administration, especially among the cabinet members. Following his footsteps, those who were interested in the governorship race were forced to start making moves. The result was an unnecessary governance crisis.
It was not total failure, however, as alleged in the press. Many projects are going on, including the construction of the flyover at a dangerous intersection in the state capital. Wale Akinterinwa, the Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the Palliative Committee, is also driving a robust, 11-point, Subsidy Relief Programme across the state.
Aiyedatiwa’s various moves were not lost on his boss. Similarly, all his financial requests were documented, including his alleged foray into Local Government funds. Perhaps to divert attention from their boss’s actions, Aiyedatiwa’s media aides focused on the Governor’s ill health, pontificating and fabricating lies. No wonder then that Akeredolu fired them on his return, while the House of Assembly initiated impeachment proceedings against the Deputy.
It is to be expected that Aiyedatiwa would seek to defend himself. He has been going about it in a frenzy. He filed several court injunctions, corralled the support of the party at the national level, colluded with lawyers and various groups, and got some media outlets to put pressure on his sick boss. In the process, words, such as “incapacitated” and “unfit”, are being used in describing the Governor. Aiyedatiwa acknowledged all his “supporters” with a post, thanking them all for “standing by me”. There was no single acknowledgement of his boss in the post, because it is apparent that the boss is the target of his fight.
How did Governor Akeredolu come about this guy? His wife is said to have suggested Aiyedatiwa to him. Or how else would Aketi have chosen as his Deputy someone who has neither executive nor governance experience and was repeatedly rejected by the party and his own people in previous runs for membership in the National Assembly, once as a Representative and once as a Senator? Even his nomination to serve on the NDDC Board was rejected.
Akeredolu should have known that Ondo state could not be lucky with Lucky. He should be impeached to give room for the state to breathe.
