By Banji Ayoola
Ondo State Government has given reasons it believes Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, deserves reelection.
Besides, it debunks the allegations making the rounds that the governor sidelined party leaders and people of the state in favour of his relatives and in laws in the award of contracts.
In an exclusive interview with The Radiance on Thursday, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Olugbenga Ale, government listed strings of achievements in all sectors of the state’s economy, and industrial and statewide infrastructural development, which were recorded by the administration in the past three and half years apart from the ongoing novel Port Ondo, Bitumen and Araromi Obu to Ibeju Lekki Lagos legacy projects, among others, as reasons.
They also include the construction of over 400 kilometres of roads, the Ondo Linyl in Ore industrial hub, having six industries with several factories, which, already, are producing and employing many youths from the state, and which government described as monumental achievements.
Ale said that no governor, whether military or civilian, has recorded such feat in the industrial sector since the administration of the revered Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin in the Second Republic, which established many industries that are now moribund due to neglect by successive administrations.
Government, he said, took a critical look at the moribund industries and discovered that it would be difficult to revive them. He said this led the governor to move outside the state to woo investors, who are now working to develop the state industrially with the help of workers employed mainly from the state. He added that the governor has established many industries.
On Education, he said that because the governor believes that this sector should be the bedrock of development, the administration has renovated many schools statewide, and is now working on the how best to complement the physical structures with good teachers, and that the process of employment is on.
On Health, he said that the administration has extended the Mother and Child Hospital to the three senatorial districts by building one each in Okitipupa and Owo in addition to the ones it inherited in Akure and Ondo. Besides, it has built Teaching Hospitals in Akure and Ondo.
On human capital development, he said that the civil service is being turned around as welfare is being accorded the topmost priority, while many civil servants are being trained. He said that as at 9th July, 2020, salaries has been paid up to date.
He added that the administration has cleared six of the seven months’ salary arrears it inherited. He said the governor has promised workers that he would pay the remaining one month’s salary arrears before he completes his first term, even if he would borrow.
In his words: “Generally speaking, the administration of Akeredolu is people-centred. Despite the criticisms that we have from our party men that he is not giving them the welfare, he has tried his best.
“If I must tell you, when the first set of contracts were awarded by SUBEB, many of our party members were given consideration. Even all the 203 wards in the state were given consideration, all in the attempt to make sure that the welfare of the people is addressed.
“There is a funny thing that has been going on. People say that Akeredolu has been giving contracts to the Igbos. I laugh. The problem we have with our people is that, I am sorry if I have to say it: some of us are lazy. Many of us don’t have business acumen, business attributes.
“Many of those who got these contracts sold them. And you know, these Igbo guys who have this money, bought these contracts from them. When people now see them on sites, they say we give contracts to Igbos.
“We didn’t give them contracts, not even to one of them. We have even asked the chairman of SUBEB to print out all those who benefitted from these awards.
“There are one or two Igbos who had been having business relationship with Ondo state government ever before Aketi came on board. There is one who is called NAO. He had been having business relationship with Agagu, with Mimiko. It is that one that extended to this administration.
“So I don’t know how people would be criticising us for giving contracts to Igbos. We are not. We still give priority attention to the people of the state. Even the road contracts that we are awarding, not one road contract has been awarded to an Igbo contractor. If there is one, let those who know mention the road and show the proof.
“So, to say that Akeredolu does not have the welfare of people at heart is over the bar, is not right. Now, what turns round the economy of the state is the amount of money we pump into the economy every month through salary payment. When we pay salary, everybody benefits because it has its own spiral effect on everybody. The market woman would have her own; the barber, tailor would each have their own just because the civil servants are paid.
“Apart from that, we have done a lot in micro credit, giving loans to the people, to the market women. These are things that can have direct impact on the people. This idea of Aketi not sharing money is alien to us. If people had been doing it in the past, that is not his own style. That has been the area where he has been having issues with some leaders of the party.”
Ale said: “ If you look critically, you would see that the man on the streets wants Aketi because he is attending to their welfare. The roads we are constructing are giving a turn around to the economy of the state. Many streets that had bad roads in the past, that have now been constructed, the houses there have appreciated.
“Those selling by the roadsides are now having greater sales. These are the real effects of our activities of the economy of the state. If some people are complaining that Aketi is not giving them money to share to their followers, that is unfortunate.
“Somebody has resigned from the government. He is not complaining that Akure roads are not tarred; he is not complaining that schools in Akure are not renovated. He is saying that Aketi is not giving him money to give to his followers. Is he not, let me just leave that description.
“But the man on the streets knows who his friend is. He knows who his enemy is; and they know that Aketi is their friend.”
Ale told The Radiance: “Aketi has been doing his utmost to turn around the fortunes of the state. He needs to do more because there are still some critical projects which should have been on but have not seen the light of the day.
“Let’s talk of Port Ondo which we want to establish in the South. Let’s talk of our bitumen project. These are at very advanced stages which should not be truncated. Aketi should be returned so that if we can have Port Ondo as the governor would say that ti oju o ba ti eyin igbeti, oju o le ti Eko. That Port Ondo would be our own eyin igbeti.
“It is what would give a total turn around to the economy of the state. All the boys you see on the streets would migrate to the south and begin to work. The value of life would improve.
“Then, we talk of the bitumen project. This is a project that has always been there. The only attempt made at giving value to the bitumen project was made by the late Dr Olusegun Agagu. But he didn’t achieve much.
“We have gone far now. We have got investors. They are already on site. All we need to do is to allow Aketi to continue this project and make sure that this thing sees the light of the day.
“I would also like to quote my governor too. Everybody is not like Aketi who would not want to abandon any project. Since he has come on board, he has not abandoned any project. All the ones he can do he has been doing.
“Look at the roads we are constructing from Ibeju Lekki to Araromi Obu here. That’s a road that would give us easy access to Lagos rather than travelling for hours. From Araromi to that place would cost you about 40 minutes.
“These are things that you cannot take from Aketi. All areas in the state have been developed, the northern, central and southern senatorial districts.
“If you go to the north, most of what people have been saying, you can find in the south. Look at Oke alabojuto. That is a place which for years had been taking lives. At my early part of service, I was working in Ikare. There was hardly any week we would not record one death. But this oke alabojuto has now been brought down.
“Ikare, for years had been suffering from lack of roads. We are now constructing a dual carriage way within Ikare township. It’s not a promise. I am telling you what is taking place. We have even started asphalting some aspects of them. You also know this hill close to Oka that has always been a death trap for trailers, for human beings. We did that within our first three months in office. We solved that problem.
“The whole of Akoko had been having problems with bad roads. Though the road from Owo to Ikare is a federal road, we have always been working on it. As at the last time the Kabiyesis came to give endorsement to the governor here, one of the selling points of the Olubaka was that he thanked the governor for that road. That road is now passable. This is because we have done a lot of work there. We are not waiting for the Federal Government to come and do it.
“There was a time in this state when we had any federal road that was bad, that somebody would place signboards on the road that “This road belongs to the Federal Government.” What does that mean? Is it the Federal Government that would come and ply the road? It would be plied by the people of the state.
“Currently, if you go to Akure – Ondo road, you would see what we are doing at the market along the road. We are doing a lot fixing bad portions of the Ondo – Akure road because the road had been cut into two. These are the things we are doing all over the state.
“If you come to the Central, you can see Akure yourself that it has been turned around. Idanre had only one road that entered into that place. We have been able to construct a road on virgin land to Idanre from Ijoka road. This is because it was a promise made by the governor to the people of Idanre that if he became the governor, he would give them an additional road. He has fulfilled that promise.
“If you look at Oda road from the Central Bank quarters there to Oda road, these are physical projects that you can examine. The governor believes that Akure is the capital city of Ondo state and it should really be given that status by giving it what befits a state capital.”
He said: “With all these, we believe that Aketi deserves a second term because he has met his promise. He has fulfilled his promise to the people of the state. And I pray that the people should look at this. They should forget about sentiments. They should forget about what politicians are saying.
“Politicians who know they cannot do half of what Aketi is doing are making noise. Many of them don’t even have the credentials. It’s unfortunate that even those we have been harbouring for the past three and a half years, who we have been managing, say they want to be governor, when they cannot even rule their own homes.
“When they were chairmen of local governments, they didn’t do anything. Like the governor would say, the people would soon speak because it is not these noisemakers that would elect the governor. It is the people and the people know their friends; and they know that Aketi is their friend.”
He said: “They are talking of stomach infrastructure. The very vocal ones are within the party. The criticisms mainly are from the party. Even the opposition people are not saying much. They are not criticising that much. Faboyede, who is the chairman of PDP, I have him on tape where he praised the governor for his achievements.
“It is the people within the party who are saying that Aketi is not giving them money. And I told you that Aketi has done his best. They are only saying that it is not enough. Many of our people have been given patronage through contracts; many party leaders up to the ward level. But many of them could not do the jobs. They sold them. And you know that would reduce the profit. These are the issues.
“But he has promised them that “we have worked now; we would continue to do our best; we would improve on this area of welfare when we come back.” They should please give us the support and let the good governance here continue.
“One thing that is a very strong selling point for Aketi is this issue of integrity. He is the man who would say I would do this, and he would do it. You can give that to him. They have not been able to criticize him on that. If you say Aketi, I want this item, as little as it is, if he knows that it is not meant for you, he would say no. and once he says no, that is no. if he asks you to come and construct roads and he knows that this road is good, once he says yes, in another three months, you can be sure that the contractor would move to site.
“We just have to continue to appeal to the people to see reason. Let us think of altruism rather than selfishness. Let’s think of the people rather than our individual selves alone.
“And I want to appeal to our APC members that when you are in government, it is better than when you are in opposition. They should allow Aketi to continue and begin to fight within the party, within government. They should not throw away this opportunity to return APC to government again; because if they make a mistake of giving the ticket to another person, I am afraid, APC might be voted out.
“I am appealing that we should return Aketi and let APC continue for another four years. That would make eight years. That would give us a leverage to be able to continue again for another eight years by the time the rotation we are following here would go to another area, perhaps the south.
“The last governor came from the Central. We are now in the North. Naturally, it should go to the South. We expect those contesting from the South to give Aketi the support and let him finish his eight years so that by the time it is their turn, it would be easy for them, rather than do anything that would make them lose.
“We should not squander the opportunities that we have now. It is better for us to work together and retain APC in government, and keep PDP that is our major opposition outside. Let them remain in opposition. That is the best for us as a government.”
On what the people of the state should expect if Akeredolu is reelected, the Chief of Staff said: “Like I told you, Aketi is a man with a very high pedigree. He’s a man of character. He’s a man of his words. He’s a man who would not play politics with the welfare of the people of the state. He’s a man who would always do what he says.
“All these projects that I have mentioned, particularly Port Ondo, he would see to fruition. We have gone far. We are only waiting for the proposal to be presented to the Federal Executive Council. Once it is approved, then we are able to go.
“And the leverage which the governor has with the presidency should not be taken for granted. Like I said, this issue of bitumen, these are legacy projects, legacy developments which, when we have our second term, would put smiles on the people of the state. It would improve their welfare.
“Government’s major problem now is youth unemployment; and we are solving that with Ondo Liynl. We would be solving it more at a greater percentage when we are able to start Port Ondo.
“When you say a port, you know what it means? Virtually everything in this world would be taking place there, everything, from manual jobs to sophisticated jobs, to whatever you can mention. Even if it is just drivers who would be driving cars from the port, even if you need a personal driver, you would not be able to get, because everybody would be busy.
“So it is in the interest of the people of the state to return Aketi for a second term so that all these projects would continue. Many people are still saying now they have not got roads. He has assured them that they would get because he would continue to work on roads for the next four years.
“He would not say that we have done enough. The areas that are not yet covered would have their own turn.”
Appealing to the people of the state, he said: “Election is very critical. One stupid person was saying that they rigged the election in favour of somebody. My brother, this is no time for rigging. This is a time when the votes of the people count.
“So I want to appeal to the people of the state to come and vote for Aketi. We need their votes to continue. We need their votes for the infrastructural development in the state to continue; for the good work in the health sector to continue; and for the good work in the education sector to continue.
“We appeal to the civil servants especially in the civil service, to give Aketi the support so that their salaries and welfare shall continue to remain as priority to government.”
