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By Dr. Akeredolu O.N.
Mr. Yemi Akintomide was right in his assertions. However, I think it’s high time we changed our prayer point.
Instead of ignorantly wishing for Aketi’s quick recovery, we should pray for the will of God to come to pass in Ondo State. If the time of Mr. Governor is up in this state, a thousand prayer points and prayer warriors won’t change that. But if God still has an agenda for him, even if the entire state hates him, Arakunrin will bounce back. That is the truth.
There is no doubt that the health challenge of Aketi has become the main discussion in the Sunshine State. One of the trained journalists, Mr. Yemi Akintomide, recently voiced his opinion about the absurdity happening in the family of Arakunrin, in which Aketi’s wife has been preparing for her 70th birthday and his son has been parading the Aso Rock for presumed appointment, instead of showing obvious concern about Aketi’s health challenge like other citizens in Ondo state. Hon. Jimi Odimayo, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency, whose media team was managed by this young talented individual, came out to dissociate himself from the truth. This humble man asserted the reasons why the state should not pray for Aketi. The Nigerian society has been bastardized to the extent that reasonable individuals don’t have it good in our community, we only celebrate mediocrities.
It’s a pity that the majority of Nigerian politicians are stupid, and they also approach God in the same manner. When I was shouting about Aketi’s excesses in the state, they were busy attacking me for stating the known truth. It’s an open secret that Aketi is seriously sick. In that kind of situation, what is expected of him and the immediate family members is a sober reflection and showing of love to their sick father cum the governor of Ondo State. No one is immuned to Aketi’s present condition. However, having a clear conscience towards God and humanity is a consolation and solace at a moment like this. The obvious fact that Arakunrin’s supporters don’t want to hear is his wickedness to the civil servants, pensioners, and APC members, which has been very glaring.
They constantly celebrate him for increasing the IGR to 3.3 billion naira monthly, which is a good thing, of course. At the same time, the civil servants are being owed several months of unpaid salaries. For example, lecturers at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo were planning to go on strike due to 13 months of unpaid salaries. What justification can a governor have for that? The manner in which his immediate family members have taken control of the affairs of the state is quite unprecedented. I don’t need to bore you with the fact that he is the first governor in the history of Southwest Nigeria to appoint his biological son as a governor’s appointee while he remains in the number one seat. The level of greed exhibited by Aketi is second to none, and we all know it but decided to play on God’s intelligence. Isn’t that surprising? They want God to reason like them, which is absolutely impossible.
On several occasions, instead of facing the undeniable realities in my articles, the governor, through his bootlickers, accused me of being sponsored by his erstwhile deputy governor, H.E Agboola Ajayi. It’s worth noting that I never received any benefit directly or through a proxy from this Ese-Odo born political Igodomigodo in all the elective offices he held in the past, from councillor, caretaker chairman, chairman of the local government, House of Representatives member, to the last one, the deputy governor to Aketi in the first term. In fact, I didn’t seek his favor or money when he contested for the Senate, despite my open support for his candidacy against Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim of the APC. That’s because I never believed in this business mogul turned politician. I thank God he didn’t disappoint my negative opinion about him, courtesy of his recent outburst against his party’s decision on the National Assembly leadership. In a nutshell, I haven’t received a sachet of water traceable to H.E. Agboola Ajayi, let alone collected money from him.
In the same vein, they tried to malign Sen. Tayo Alasoadura, who was a strong supporter of Aketi until Arakunrin paid him with the same ingratitude that people like Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, Prince Solagbade Amodeni, Taofeek Abdulsalam, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, Rt. Hon. Ogundeji Iroju, Justice Mrs. Akeredolu, and faithful APC members had earlier suffered from Arakunrin. They said he (Alash) was sponsoring me to attack the first family in Ondo State. Even recently, they tried to serve the same breakfast to the current deputy governor when the Mr. Governor was asked to do the right thing as stated by our constitution. Without beating around the bush, I’m not surprised that Hon. Jimi Odimayo is trying to satisfy his benefactors, who are Aketi’s immediate family.
The season to appoint and compensate individuals who worked assiduously for various successful political aspirations is here. It will be expected that Mr. Yemi Akintomide, who served as the director of media to Jimi Odimayo’s campaign organization, should automatically become the media aide of a member of the House of Representatives when his boss has been sworn in. However, politicians always look for every possible reason to dump those who labored for them. I won’t be caught unaware if Hon. Jimi Odimayo uses this situation as leverage to deny Mr. Yemi Akintomide the necessary position as compensation for his role as a media person in the last representative election won by this Irele’s prince.
I know this Irele/Okitipupa federal parliamentarian is eyeing the governorship in Ondo State in 2024. If he tries to punish Mr. Yemi Akintomide for stating the truth, obviously that will be the beginning of the end for his political career that has just hit the crescendo. This brilliant journalist hasn’t done anything wrong. How can we expect Ondo State to be more Catholic than the Pope? Both Aketi’s wife, Betty, and son, Babajide, are living as if nothing has happened to Arakunrin. They encumber themselves with 70th birthday activities and hobnobbing for federal appointment, respectively, instead of showing love to the governor at this crucial moment while H.E. Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the entire state are praying for the governor. I don’t think Mr. Yemi Akintomide was wrong. However, instead of praying for Aketi’s quick recovery, I think we should change our prayer point to asking for the will of God to be done in Ondo State.
Peoplesmind
