Less than five weeks to the end of the administration of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko in Ondo state, TOPE FAYEHUN chronicles events as the governor prepares to hand over on February 24
High wired politicking is going on in Ondo State, ahead of the February 24 handover and swearing-in ceremony of the winner of last November’s governorship election conducted in the State.
The State Governor Olusegun Mimiko will handover the mantle of leadership to Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) having served the constitutionally permitted two-term tenures.
Consequently, the two major political parties, the All progressives Congress (APC) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been locked in a war of words over series allegations and counter allegations which includes a planned diversion of public funds. While APC accused the government of intending to divert about N1.5bn grants from foreign donors to phoney contracts, the government has been trying hard to defend its integrity in the face of the allegations.
The people of the state including workers appear to have resigned to fate on the non payment of the backlog of their salary arrears, waiting patiently for the incoming administration to put smiles on their faces again.
The APC, through its Publicity Secretary, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, had alleged that the money was the accumulated foreign grants to Ondo State Wealth Creation Agency (WECA) and Multilateral Relations Department. The action of the government, he said, is a deliberate plan to empty the state treasury before the APC takes over the reins of power in the state.
Adesanya also accused the outgoing governor of plans to loot the state treasury of another N450m through the18 local government areas of the state.
According to him, “we have uncovered another heinous plan of the outgoing government of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko to loot a whopping sum of N450million through the 18 local government areas of the state, under the guise of grading road surfaces.
“The governor has approved the sum of N25million for each LG Chairman for the grading of roads in their domain. Meanwhile, the LG Administrators will only have access to N2million each per local government, while the Governor will get the kickback of N23m from each LG.
Reacting to the APC allegations, the Ondo State government through the state commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade, described the APC spokesperson, Abayomi Adesanya, as ignorant adding that hie desperation for attention would spell doom for the incoming government if allowed to continue running the party’s publicity machinery on outright falsehood.
Akinmade said APC as a party must “tame Adesanya now or purge him of his lies before he becomes an embarrassment to the party and the incoming government.”
Denying all the claim of Adesanya, Akinmade urged the APC to call their spokesman to order over what he described as “his recklessness and addiction to manufacturing and spreading lies to get recognition”.
He condemned the APC statement describing it as a deliberate lie “weaved together by somebody who wants to be noticed at all cost because of his desperation for an appointment” and challenged Adesanya to go public with proof of his claim if any.
He said “but for the fact that the author of the fabrication lacks depth, character and knowledge of governance” he should have known that foreign grants are not the same like Manna that just drops.
“If Adesanya claims to have proof that the government collected any money in form of foreign grant, he must put the proof forward. By now, he should have realised that no government thrives on falsehood and one can not deceive an enlightened populace like we have in Ondo.”
Akinmade said the Mimiko-led government is being adjudged the most successful so far in the history of the state because it thrives on transparency with nothing hidden from stakeholders and the general public.
Just as that is ongoing, the alleged plan by the outgoing governor to rejig the leadership of the State House of Assembly to make him relevant in the political space of the state after office raged. As at the last count, no fewer than six members of the Assembly are already jostling for the office of the speaker.
Since Akeredolu who is going to be the next governor hails from the Northern Senatorial District of the state, his deputy Agboola Ajayi is from the Southern district and the present speaker, Jumoke Akindele of the ruling PDP also hails from the Southern district of the state, the need for a change in the speakership became sacrosanct.
Watchers posit that the speakership will, out of necessity, shift to the Central Senatorial District. Already, underground schemings have commenced among the lawmakers from the Central district.
According to findings, the interested lawmakers include Olamide George, Dayo Akinsoyinu, Bamidele Oleyelogun and Kemi Adesanya. Others include Tuyi Akintimehin and David Olajide.
While the scheme to change the leadership position continued, the APC leadership are said to be working on PDP lawmakers in a bid to effect their defection. But the lawmakers are said to prefer to remain in the opposition party for the economic gains as they would be putting the new administration on its toes.
However, the battle of relevance in the camp of APC has also resurfaced as some of the party elements are accusing Akeredolu of favouring PDP extraction of the party in the newly inaugurated committees.
LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that some strong loyalists of Akeredolu were said to have been edged out in the scheme of things in the party since the emergence of the governor-elect. The development, it was learnt is giving the governor-elect a great concern as most of his foot soldiers are copiously missing or packed together under a group.
It was learnt that the names of those that formed the committees originated from the director general of the Akeredolu Campaign platform, Hon. Victor Olabimtan, former chief of staff in the state and younger brother of former governor, late Olusegun Agagu, Mr. Femi Agagu and the deputy governor-elect, Mr. Agboola Ajayi.
One of the loyalist of Akeredolu who does not want his name mentioned, informed LEADERSHIP Sunday that both Olabimtan and Agagu also played the deputy governor-elect by removing some of the names he submitted and substituting it with theirs.
According to the source, even though the governor-elect has assured that the names on the list are not in any way a representation of his incoming government’s cabinet, plans to mount pressure on the governor-elect to ensure that those who present the blueprint to progress are also appointed, have been discovered.
Investigations revealed that the deputy governor-elect, who joined the party some months ago is weilding so much power in the incoming government.
Some of the names of those who allegedly have taken over the control of the incoming government included, the deputy governor-elect, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, Mr. Femi Agagu,ET. Hon. Victor Olabimtan, Mr. Kunle Adebayo among others.
Another source said “look at someone who has never practiced journalism in his life, he’s taken over the media job from someone who has the vast experience.
“They just want to be everywhere and do everything, but i still have faith in Akeredolu, we know him, he is not a weakling, no one can hijack this government from him.”
Comments
Post a Comment