The events of the last few weeks in Ondo State, since the return of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu from his medical leave, have been very worrisome to me. For the over three months that the governor was away, government activities virtually lay prostrate, while key actors in government engaged in very needless tussles over who gained control of the lever of government. Their main aim was to gain advantage in the race towards 2024 election. For me, that was tantamount to playing politics with the health of Mr. Governor.
Upon the “return” of Mr. Governor, one would have thought that life was back in the administration of Ondo State and that a clear direction would gain traction, but we were wrong, or so it seems. The governor was welcomed to Ibadan in Oyo State, instead of Ondo, his state and place of assignment. The reason for that remains farfetched. That Akeredolu has been in another state in Nigeria for about five weeks running, without stepping on the soil of his state, is worrisome in itself.
Then came the needless push against the Deputy Governor, Lucky Ayedatiwa. The cabal, as I noted in my earlier write-up, appears to have taken advantage of the frail health of the governor, to hold the state by the jugular. “Lucky Ayedatiwa must go”, they insist. The process has begun, and only time will tell how lucky Lucky Ayedatiwa will be. The current mood of the people of Ondo State, however, is against this onslaught against Akeredolu’s deputy. Many believe that the Deputy Governor is just a victim of loyalty in the court of power players and a pun in the hands of a cabal that is bent on taking over power willy-nilly. There is a member of the cabal that is not even from the state. He wants to ‘dabaru’ our state and then head back to Ogun State. We no go gree oh!
Today in Ondo State, there are no Executive Council meetings. As we know, Exco meetings are necessary for the smooth running of a State. At National Economic Council meetings, Ondo State is not being represented. If the governor was weak and couldn’t attend them, it naturally falls on his deputy to stand in, but because the deputy is seen as a fiend, rather than a friend, he must not be accorded that statutory right of honour. Here at home, it is the Secretary to Government who represents the governor at functions. This is happening in a state where we have a governor and a deputy alive and well!
The grapevine has it that behind all of this is a hidden agenda, and that is to remove the Deputy Governor, select a favourable person and then, the governor resigns or just use that person as a façade while the term of the administration runs out. Some extremists even opine that the governor may be paving way for his son by selecting him as Deputy Governor, after which the governor resigns. This will make his son the new governor, and then he may shop for his own deputy. Aren’t these all calculations in the realm of human conjectures and permutations?
The question is why impeach the Deputy Governor when you have, and can continue to render his office useless?
I heard from the grapevine that files are being treated now in Ibadan. This is troubling because what if something bad happens on the way?
I want to state on record that I do not have anything against our governor. I was one of the people who prayed for his safe return. And, I thank God for his return, while praying that God will continue to heal him. A lot of people have openly challenged me that I was against the Governor and that they thought, being in his camp, I shouldn’t speak out my mind. I am in the camp of what is right and just. The so-called cabal is forgetting thay God is the one who gives … Ironically, our Governor was one of the people who championed the cause of Jonathan when Yaradua was President.
The summary of this is that the cabal in Akeredolu’s government is bent on throwing our state into the coma that it is now. We appeal to the members of this faceless group to desist. Leave the Deputy Governor alone and concentrate on governance. That way, our people can continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy, and our party can be better positioned to retain power in the next election cycle.
I say again, Mr. Governor, DO NOT LISTEN TO THE CABAL. Do not go their way. Their intentions are not pure.
Engr. Sunday Falae.
