Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa
Asiwaju Media Team, a political group in Ondo State, has described the governance style of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as exemplary.
It noted that this has changed the usual general perception of government as being rigid and inaccessible to ordinary citizens.
The group said in a statement signed by its Director General, Emorioloye Owolemi, said that the Aiyedatiwa administration has provided a government that is more open, accessible, and inclusive, while also strengthening the state’s security architecture through intelligence and proactive crime-fighting measures.
It stressed that Aiyedatiwa’s approach is largely preventive, just like that of President Bola Tinubu, noting regrettably that many Nigerians do not celebrate a government for preventing a crisis because they never experienced the crisis.
Besides, it noted that governments that successfully prevent crime often receive less recognition than those that respond dramatically after a crime has already occurred.
It said this mentality across Nigeria needs to change regarding how citizens assess governance.
However, it clarified that it does not mean insecurity has disappeared completely, but rather that prevention, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and proactive security measures can stop incidents from becoming widespread crises.
According to the statement, “Perhaps one of the reasons people find it difficult to applaud this government is because Aiyedatiwa’s approach is largely preventive. He is not waiting for crimes to happen before demonstrating that security is working. He is working to ensure that certain crimes do not happen in the first place.
“Why? Because people can physically see the rescue. They cannot physically see the tragedy that was prevented.
“Today, the security environment is different in many respects. The same level of public disruption and recurring security incidents that previously dominated conversations across communities is not what citizens are experiencing in the same manner today.
“This is not a governor who, for example, should build a road worth ₦500 million and then spend ₦1 billion advertising the road. The government speaks through its projects. The government speaks through functioning institutions. The government speaks through safer communities. The government speaks through the accessibility of the administration to ordinary people.
“Not every achievement comes with sirens, cameras, and ceremonies. Some achievements are simply the tragedies that never happened. And perhaps that is exactly why the government of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa deserves closer and more objective assessment.”
On what it described as a pattern of perpetual criticism among certain political actors in the state, the group noted that some individuals have criticized every administration that has come into power.
It cited the removal of fuel subsidy as an example, pointing out that for many years, Nigerians endured fuel scarcity, long queues, black-market prices, and even deaths associated with desperate attempts to obtain petroleum products.
“When President Tinubu took the politically difficult decision to remove the subsidy, he did not merely make a policy announcement but took responsibility for a decision with enormous economic and political consequences”, it said.
