Akeredolu’s Son to Aiyedatiwa: Complete Projects my Father started

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••• Says naming Uncompleted Project after Akeredolu is Insincere

Babajide Akeredolu, son of the former governor of Ondo State has asked governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to complete all Projects stated by his father if the governor genuinely wants to honour the late Governor.

Babajide Akeredolu also questioned the sincerity of Aiyedatiwa by naming a yet-to-be-completed project after his late Father.

However, a top government official who pleaded anonymity told Roving Reporters that Babajide Akeredolu’s claims were untrue.

In a statement made available to Roving Reporters on Monday, Babajide Akeredolu also described as ‘lack of courtesy and respect’ for the state government to organize a memorial lecture for his father without involving any member of the Akeredolu’s family.

The Statement reads, “It is important to state unequivocally that Governor Aiyedatiwa was aware of the Akeredolu family’s plans for the remembrance.

“My uncle and head of the Akeredolu family, Prof. Wole Akeredolu, personally informed the governor at his monthly praise night in November at the Dome in Akure.

“The governor acknowledged this and affirmed that the state government would be a part of the event.

“Furthermore, an official invitation letter was delivered to the Director of Protocol, Government House, Mr. George Asonja.

“The letter was duly received and acknowledged. At no point did the governor or his representatives indicate any conflicting plans or suggest that the state government intended to organise a separate event.

“It was, therefore, both shocking and deeply disappointing to learn about the state-organised event through social media, just three days before it was held.

“Even more disappointing was that no member of the Akeredolu family was invited to this event. This lack of courtesy and respect is unheard of and unbecoming, especially for an event meant to honour the memory of a former governor and patriarch. 

“While we recognise that the state government has the prerogative to organise such events, basic decency and protocol demand that the family of the deceased be informed and included. This glaring oversight leads one to question if it was intentional mischief or based on erroneous advice from the governor’s aides.

ON THE JUDICIAL COMPLEX AND MISPLACED PRIORITIES

“We acknowledge and commend Governor Aiyedatiwa for performing the groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed Judicial Complex, a project initiated by Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

“As a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a passionate advocate for the judiciary, this project was dear to his heart. However, the current politics surrounding the project are glaring.

“Naming a project after someone before its completion is both premature and insincere.

“True immortality lies in completing the project and ensuring its functionality. If the governor is genuinely committed to honoring Arakunrin Akeredolu’s legacy, he must demonstrate this through actions, not empty gestures. 

HOW TO HONOUR ARAKUNRIN AKEREDOLU

“As a former Head of the Project Performance and Implementation Monitoring Unit (PPIMU), I am well informed and involved to advise Governor Aiyedatiwa, if he truly wishes to immortalise Arakunrin Akeredolu. As a matter of urgency, Mr. Governor should prioritise the completion of key projects initiated by our late patriarch: 

1. Upgrade Rufus Giwa Polytechnic to a University

All preliminary studies and recommendations for this upgrade were completed during Akeredolu’s administration. The governor should expedite this process to fulfill his predecessor’s vision. 

2. Complete the First Flyover in Akure
The flyover at Onyearugbulem Junction, a turnkey project meant to be completed within 18 months, is crawling at a snail speed. Its completion would be a fitting honour to Akeredolu’s commitment to infrastructure development. 

3. Address Abandoned Road Projects
-The road construction behind SIB in Akure has been abandoned, Residents are groaning during both the dry and rainy seasons. 

– Ijoka Road has deteriorated into a nightmare due to neglect. 
– Even the shoddy work done on Oda Road since Governor Aiyedatiwa took over pales in comparison to the quality delivered during Akeredolu’s administration. 

4. Support Civil Servants
– Address the glaring discrepancies in salary payments. The so-called minimum wage in Ondo State falls short of the lesser wages paid in other states. When deductions are considered, the high tax element compared to other SouthWest states has made nonsense of the minimum wage.

– In Ondo State, the minimum wage table is short of what was promised and announced by the governor. Even after the approval of the table, Mr.  Governor still directed further reduction of the amount again. This is not Akeredolu’s legacy to the civil service.

– Resolve the issue of unpaid deductions, and the lack of funding for ministries and parastatals. 

These are the meaningful ways to honour Arakunrin Akeredolu’s legacy. His love for Ondo State and its people must not be diminished by retrogressive policies or political gimmicks. 

Governor Aiyedatiwa must halt the vindictive and divisive acts of punishing or ostracizing anyone associated with Arakunrin Akeredolu.

True loyalty and respect for the late governor cannot coexist with disdain for his policies, family, or vision. It is hypocritical and unbecoming of leadership that claims to want to honour the legacy of its predecessor every time the opportunity presents itself.

Let me quickly congratulate the Governor on his victory at the recently concluded governorship election. We urge the governor to take a cue from his predecessor’s courage and conviction.

Lead boldly, stand up for the people, and prosecute your convictions with courage. Politics and governance are mutually exclusive and an everlasting legacy is hinged on effective governance.

The place of governance must not be desecrated with murky water of politics. Leadership demands strength, not a lily-livered approach. Only then will you truly earn the respect and admiration of the people. 

We extend our appreciation to the Deputy Governor, who represented Governor Aiyedatiwa at the remembrance event in Owo and at numerous other events that the governor has been “unavoidably” absent. Your presence did not go unnoticed, and we are grateful. 

To the people of Ondo State, we remain forever thankful for your love and support. We assure you that we will continue to uphold the legacy of our late patriarch, speak truth to power, and hold leaders accountable. 

While a detailed response may be given on this, let me quickly say that Babajide cannot dictate to the Ondo State Government how it would honour a former Governor. Akeredolu was more than a family man, he was an elected leader of the state.

The state government played its role in the events organised in Owo by the family where the Deputy Governor represented the Governor. The preparation for the Lecture event in Akure had commenced before the invitation for the Owo events was delivered to the state government.

BABAJIDE’S CLAIMS UNTRUE – Govt Official

The condescending tone of Babajide in his statement over the unavailability of the Governor at the family events shows his lack of respect for the office of the Governor.

Is Babajide unaware of the public attacks and unrestrained abuse that his mother, former First Lady, has melted on the Governor since he assumed office. Is Babajide also unaware of how his mother had embarrassed the Governor and Deputy Governor by ignoring their pleasantries at public events?

That Babajide was privileged to hold a non-existent political office under the administration of his father does not confer on him the right to dictate how government projects and policies are handled by Governor Aiyedatiwa.

The road projects he mentioned, including Oda road dualisation, Ijoka road dualisation and the Irese flyover, were all abandoned when he and a few others held the state to ransom and caused a needless political crisis during his father’s illness. All contractors handling the projects, who were not paid for job done, had been nowhere near the projects for close to two years before Governor Aiyedatiwa mobilised them back to site in February this year.

Babajide should cure his ignorance by paying a visit to the road projects to assess the level of progress made in the last one year of the Aiyedatiwa administration. Those projects suffered under his reign as Director General of the Project Performance and Implementation Monitoring Unit, an office he used to arrogate to himself the title of a defacto Governor for three years.

Babajide should return all government properties he took away before arrogantly making statements on how to run government.