Ondo2024: Idanre to produce next Deputy Governor by Dr Akeredolu

Also, he failed to convince Aketi to take good care of the party faithfuls, mostly when his interest has been protected in this government of Arakunrin, i.e he is selfish. It’s a sign that he has nothing reasonable to contribute to any government if he is given such a great position except personal agenda. In addition, Mr Ade Adetimehin was the arrowhead of anti-party activities in the state in 2019, acting on Aketi’s script and causing great misfortune for the party members, the wounds sustained as a result of his careless actions haven’t been healed. However, the local government has some individuals like Hon. Tajudeen Adefisoye (Small Alhaji), the seasoned journalist, who was Aketi’s commissioner for information in the first term, Mr Yemi Olowolabi and others who can be considered for a great assignment like this*

The season of politics is here again in Ondo state, now, it’s a crucial moment which Ondo state indigenes must get it right, the nasty experience under the current administration of Mr Akeredolu Oluwarotimi SAN, the executive governor of Ondo state by politicians and civil servants should be a lesson that must not be repeated in the next dispensation. We must all be involved this time and ensure that our next landlord in Alagbaka’s governor’s house must be someone who had been with us in the state for a longer period, not a foreigner like Aketi who lived a significant part of his life in Ibadan and his tendencies weren’t known until he became the governor that we later realized we had entered ‘one – chance’, in which we have been praying earnestly to God to deliver us in the sunshine state from the shackles of Arakunrin, though, Ondo people will need to continue with suffering and smiling until next 20 months that his administration will legally expire. As the next dispensation approaches, there is an urgent necessity for the proper orientation of our people on the essence of good governance, the two consecutive governors in the state, i.e Dr Mimiko and Aketi, coincidentally, who were friends from University days in Ile-Ife had shown the civil servants ‘pepper’ through owing of salaries for seven and six months respectively.

Many people can still exonerate Dr Olusegun Mimiko in the deeper discussion, that he started well with a lot of people’s oriented programmes like Mother and Child hospitals where the pregnant women went for free deliveries including Caesarian sections. In my personal experience, a brother and friend, who is a lecturer at FUTA, and a PhD holder, had his three children through caesarian sections in this hospital in Akure. I was involved in the last baby, not as a managing doctor but I had to intervene at a point in facilitating the success of everything among my colleagues in charge then when there was a perceived delay in the area of logistics. In a nutshell, if Dr Olusegun Mimiko’s administration’s program could be a blessing for the aforementioned individual despite his societal status, I don’t need to mention the lives of the downtrodden who were saved by the Ondo town-born political genius through this initiative, time will fail me to mention many others which have been abandoned by his successor, Aketi. The administration lastly found itself in a mess of economic meltdown, towards the tail end of Dr Goodluck Jonathan as the president and Iroko finally left the state with a backlog of seven-month salary arrears. The same thing can’t be said about Aketi’s administration had received several bailouts to settle these debts, with robust IGR (2.7 billion naira monthly on average now), several billion naira as 13% derivation of crude oil and monthly allocations of billions from federation accounts.

I don’t need to waste our time on Aketi’s misrule in Ondo state which is inexhaustible, more so, it’s not the topic of discussion for today. However, our people must shine their eyes on the primary elections of various political parties in Ondo 2024, they must be involved by lending their voices in direction of fairness and equity, that is starting point. The ineptitude of a governor has much more effect on the citizens of the state than the ingenuity of the president at the federal level. My point is that, as we had unanimously voted for Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu as the president-elect, his efforts won’t count much in Ondo state if we have a bad governor like Aketi in the next dispensation.

Tactically, the governorship has been zoned to the southern part of the state by the existing unwritten agreement among the Sunshine people. Many aspirants have been showing interest in the race, from the first female secretary to the Ondo state government, Princess Oladunni Odu, Olusola Oke, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Akinterinwa, Sola Iji, Morayo Lebi, Soji Ehinlawo and many others. I limited my thinking to APC, though the current administration of Aketi has done badly in all ramifications, the state can’t afford to be in opposition to Tinubu’s government, now that is our time to reap the reward of the massive votes we gave to him in the last presidential election . In summary, it will be a herculean task for another party asides from APC to win the upcoming governorship election in the sunshine state, except by a miracle.

It’s not the only governor that should be our concern, even, a selfless, resourceful, vibrant, resident in Ondo state and a youthful deputy governor will be an added advantage in the next dispensation. We don’t need a person who will be only good at representing the governor in birthday parties or functions, burial ceremonies and other frivolous activities, rather, someone who can contribute significantly to the administration and at the same cool-headed should be carefully sought out. Ondo is central senatorial district with six local governments, Ondo East and West, Akure South and North, Idanre and Ifedore. Ondo East and West produced Dr Mimiko as the governor for eight years and the next speaker may go to Mr Olamide Oladiji (Landmark), a house of assembly member elect from Ondo East, being the only second-term member from the central senatorial district which will produce the speaker. Akure South and North, produced deputy governor to Dr Agagu, Ambassador Omolade Oluwateru, Sen. Tayo Alasoadura as the minister for 3 years and Bar. Ademola Adegoroye is completing the term with President Muhammed Buhari. Also, Rt Hon, Kenneth Olawale from Akure North was a speaker in the House of Assembly during Chief Adebayo Adefarati’s administration.

In Addition, Rt Hon. Ayo Agbamuserin was the number three in Ondo state with Rt Hon. Bamidele Oleyelogun, the outgoing speaker are from Ifedore local government. It’s only Idanre local government that has never tasted the number two or three seat in the sunshine state, I mean in this political era of over two decades. The coming dispensation is going to be a golden opportunity for them, putting into consideration the father-to-son relationship between Eng. Pius O. Akinyelure, from Idanre and Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, the president-elect, who had been family friends from Mobil oil company when the duo were youths, the relationship that transcended several decades, remains cordial till now. Idanre people can have the deputy governor this time if they present their case before the party leadership and be serious about it.

Finally, in the spirit of fairness which is very scarce in the Nigerian political atmosphere, Idanre local government should produce a deputy governor in Ondo 2024 but who should be the deputy governorship candidate among her indigenes is a major concern, definitely, the current chairman of APC, Mr Ade Adetimehin is not qualified. Asides from that he has performed so badly in his current position, picking him as the deputy governor will only serve as extra – luggage to the governor and Ondo APC members will resist such a decision with all efforts. Also, he failed to convince Aketi to take good care of the party faithfuls, mostly when his interest has been protected in this government of Arakunrin, i.e he is selfish. It’s a sign that he has nothing reasonable to contribute to any government if he is given such a great position except personal agenda. In addition, Mr Ade Adetimehin was the arrowhead of anti-party activities in 2019, acting on Aketi’s script and causing great misfortune for the party members. The wounds sustained by the victims as a result of these careless actions haven’t been healed. However, this local government has some individuals like Hon Tajudeen Adefisoye (Small Alhaji), the seasoned journalist, Mr. Yemi Olowolabi, who was the commissioners for information in Aketi’s first term and others who can be considered for this great assignment.

Peoplesmind