By Banji Ayoola
Former Ondo State Governor and National Leader of Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, Dr Olusegun Mimiko at the weekend described his successor in office, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, as a disappointment to the people of the State.
He spoke in Ile-Oluji in Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government during the campaign tour of the state’s Deputy Governor and ZLP’s candidate in the October 10 governorship election, Hon Agboola Ajayi.
Mimiko, according to a statement by Ajayi’s spokesman, Mr Babatope Okeowo, described his successor’s government as anti-people because of the cancellation of the inherited free health programme and increase in tuition fees paid by tertiary institutions in the State.
The former Mimiko administration under its Caring Heart policy, implemented free health and free education programmes backed up with free shuttle buses. Students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba paid N25, 000 tuition fee.
The statement said the former governor who said he had worked with three governors before becoming governor for eight years, alleged that the “Akeredolu government has failed the people of the State in all critical sectors affecting the well-being of the people.”
It quoted him saying: “the government of Akeredolu’s claim to performance is nothing but falsehood as all indices showed otherwise.”
His words “There is no person that will say he has not performed. But how do we differentiate performance?. Any government that has not democratised education is a bad government.
“This government that hiked school fee is a bad government. Akeredolu’s government is an enemy of the people. Anybody that votes Akeredolu is selling his children’s future.
“Any government that does not make health free is your enemy. Akeredolu’s government is an enemy of the people by cancelling Mother and Child and free health for children.
“Any time they come here to campaign for votes ask him, where are our shuttle buses? Where is our abiye? The government that cancelled trauma centre is your enemy.”
Mimiko said Akeredolu’s utterances have clearly shown that he is not part of the state as he had vowed to go back to his base if not voted for.
He said: “This government has not performed; he is anti-people. Any Government that fails to democratize access to Education , Health and other essential services to the people is not a good Government.”
The former governor lamented the alleged failure of his successor to build on the successes recorded in the health and education sectors during his tenure as Governor.
He saw no need for the Akeredolu administration to have cancelled free health services and free education at the primary and secondary levels, noting that any government that fails to prioritise Education and Health is anti-people.
Mimiko also fumed at the cancellation of the Accident Emergency scheme which was established by the his administration to reduce the number of deaths on express roads around Ondo state.
He urged the people to vote out the alleged anti-people government and vote for Agboola Ajayi and Gboye Adegbenro as Governor and Deputy Governor on the platform of the ZLP.
In his remark, Ajayi said he has listened to the cries of the people and has offered himself as alternative to the alleged misrule of Akeredolu.
