LUCKY Aiyedatiwa, the new Governor of Ondo State, has very challenging tasks ahead of him. The erstwhile Deputy Governor was swiftly inaugurated as governor on December 27 following the tragic death of the governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, after a protracted illness. This immediately doused the political tensions that had nearly boiled over during Akeredolu’s period of sickness. Aiyedatiwa has his job cut out for him and must fill the vacuum Akeredolu left behind in Alagbaka to take Ondo higher in all sectors.
Known as a peaceful state, Ondo gained national attention when Akeredolu, who was in his second term as governor, took ill. The jostling for power incited deep divisions between the loyalists of Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa to the extent that a faction of the Ondo State House of Assembly initiated impeachment proceedings against the new governor.
This resulted in litigation. Governance suffered. Accusations of forgery rent the air and there were calls for Akeredolu to resign so that his deputy could become governor. This did not happen. Instead, the war intensified. The combatants also sought a political solution from President Bola Tinubu.
But things took a new dimension after Akeredolu died, allowing Aiyedatiwa to fully assume office as governor. Crucially, he must reconcile the factions in his party, the All Progressives Congress, consolidate the legacies of his predecessor, and prove his acumen by delivering critical democratic dividends to the people of the state within the shortest possible time.
Akeredolu, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, will be remembered for the critical role he played in the establishment of the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun). As chairman of the South-West Governors Forum, he championed the cause of restructuring and emboldened other governors in the region to secure their states.
In August 2020, he asserted his resolve despite resistance from the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government, thereby galvanising other South-West states (except for Lagos) to prioritise state policing and regional collaboration in the face of violent Fulani herdsmen rapine, kidnappers, ritual killers, and other violent criminals.
In 2021, Adetunji Adeleye, the Ondo Amotekun commander, said criminal activities had reduced by 80 per cent in Akure, the state capital. This is significant. Ayedatiwa must consolidate the gains of Amotekun in the state, inspiring, equipping, and boosting intelligence gathering channels and empowering the corps to rid the state of criminality.
The governor should emulate his predecessor on restructuring. In the commemoration of a June 12 Democracy Day event, Akeredolu had said, “The need for restructuring has become undeniable. The Federal Government must relinquish its excessive control over the sub-national entities. The symbol of the June 12 struggle made the ultimate sacrifice. We must not allow our people to continue paying the price in vain. By devolving power to the sub-national entities, we can deepen our democratic values, strengthen governance, and make our nation more resilient.”
Unfortunately, despite its natural resources, Ondo is floundering like the other states with the chronic reliance on federal allocations. Internally generated revenue remains low. Ondo is not in the December list of the seven states with a sizeable IGR that can withstand the absence of federal allocations released by Economic Confidential. Multidimensional poverty there is 27 per cent per NBS; unemployment is high. Ayedatiwa must reverse the trend.
Urgently, he must develop an economic plan for Ondo, emplace basic infrastructure, and attract FDI and local investment through better ease doing business initiatives. Ayedatiwa should develop a hub for food and cash crop production. He should give a new lease of life to the citizens of the state.
The Punch
