The Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deemed Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s decision to hand over power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as long overdue. The PDP asserted that the state has faced stagnation for the past six months due to the governor’s health issues, leading to his recent return to Germany for medical treatment.
The state House of Assembly officially recognized Aiyedatiwa as acting governor following Akeredolu’s letter relinquishing power to his deputy. Commenting on the development, Kennedy Peretei, the Publicity Secretary of the Ondo PDP, urged Aiyedatiwa to take prompt action to move the state forward.
Peretei remarked, “Akeredolu’s medical vacation is long overdue, I don’t know why they waited this long to do this. The Ondo State is already the butt of every joke. Let’s pray that things will at least move in the state instead of the stagnation witnessed in the last six months.”
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, clarified the alleged freezing of local government accounts by the state government.
An unofficial piece of information, purportedly from the office of the acting governor, had surfaced online last Friday directing council caretaker chairmen not to tamper with the finances of their local governments.
However, the information commissioner, in a statement on Sunday, said the acting governor had not given any order to freeze the council’s account, describing the report as untrue.
Ademola-Olateju said, “At no time has the acting Governor or any functionary of the state put a freeze on local government accounts or order any closure. This information is fake and baseless. We ask that the good people of Ondo State, particularly officials of local governments, disregard the rumour.
“Necessary complimentary personnel/civil servants have been deployed to the LCDAs and they have been advised to exercise due diligence and processes in their operations by the government.
“The state government is committed to proper functioning of the new 33 LCDAs and the existing 18 LGAs in the state as a way of enhancing development at the grassroots.”
