I had expected Governor Akeredolu to reprimand those government officials caught in acts of insubordination—those who sabotaged governance in his absence. I mean those who made it impossible for Lucky Aiyedatiwa to assume full control of the government as Acting Governor while the governor was away attending to his health in Germany.
Instead, upon his return from his medical leave abroad, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN CON sacked all the media aides of his Deputy. I am sure if the governor had the constitutional power to sack his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, he would have done so the same day he relieved his media aides of their appointments.
Apparently, the undisclosed offense of Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa is his attempt to assume office as Acting Governor, which the Cabal never wanted.
One is, therefore, not surprised by this clandestine move by the Ondo State House of Assembly, alleging bogus charges against the deputy governor—it’s merely calling the dog a bad name in order to hang it. It’s a subterfuge of the cabal to avenge the Deputy Governor’s attempt to govern while the governor was away, as they benefit immensely from foisting upon the people a state of rudderlessness.
The same House of Assembly that failed or refused to investigate the N27.8 billion 13% accrued oil derivation to Ondo from the Federation Account between November 2021 to November 2022, as revealed by the former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
The same House of Assembly that suppressed and withheld the report of the sum of over N4.3 billion stashed in a ‘secret’ account by the Ondo State Government discovered after 10 years in 2020. Governance is a continuum, and it’s trite to say that those who must come to equity must come with clean hands.
The State House of Assembly members shouldn’t bamboozle the people with these phony and unfounded allegations. We all know that they have simply replaced patriotism with sycophancy and are now trying hard to impress and please their demigod—the Governor.
In all of this, one is truly flabbergasted that Governor Akeredolu is not showing an iota of appreciation to God the Almighty for sparing his life. He’s obviously ungrateful to the people too, who have been fervently praying for his safe return. Vengeance, they say, is of the Lord. But Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN CON, who has not even set foot on the soil of Ondo state, has pummeled the state he left ungoverned for the past six months from his private residence in Ibadan with so much vengeance.
I think this should serve as a genuine call on the people to resist the governor’s style and attempt to recruit their hands prior to the election, only to treat them as disposables immediately after the election. If allowed, Akeredolu will change his deputy every month.
It is now clear in Ondo state that the problem is not with the individuals who served or are serving as deputy governor under Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN CON. The real problem is Governor Akeredolu’s high-handedness and tyrannical approach to governance.
Both Agboola Ajayi, who served as deputy governor between 2017 to 2021, and the present deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, are respected, genuine men who have established excellent records of public service.
It is unfair, unconstitutional, illegal, and lugubrious for Governor Akeredolu to allow himself to be taken hostage by members of the Cabal and govern Ondo state with invisible hands from his private residence in Ibadan, leaving the state practically ungoverned. It’s unfair of Akeredolu to always maltreat his deputy for daring to act as governor whenever he’s not available to govern.
The members of the Cabal who are currently exploiting the feeble health status of the governor for personal aggrandizement will soon meet their imminent Waterloo.
Allen Sowore is a lawyer. He can be reached on Facebook, Allen Sowore.
Editor’s note: The views contained in this op-ed do not represent TOP MEDIA’s.
