The governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Hon Olugbenga Edema, has challenged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State to give an account of his stewardship since he assumed office six months ago.
Also, Edema told Aiyedatiwa not to waste taxpayers’ money in appealing the judgment that nullified the 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAS ) in the state.
In a statement signed by the spokesman of Edema Campaign Organisation, Mr. Israel Ayeni, the candidate queried the intention of Governor Aiyedatiwa in appealing the judgment describing it as self-seeking, deceitful, and an afterthought coming after he has been thoroughly criticised in the manner he handled the LCDAs issue.
According to him, the governor should have looked at the petitions of the aggrieved communities across the state administratively to resolve the imbroglio over the LCDAs before the case was instituted in the first place, instead of allowing the case to drag for months in the law court.
He said Governor Aiyedatiwa was the acting governor and even presided over the State Executive Council meeting that approved the numbers of the LCDAs. He had ample opportunity to take into consideration the agitation of the people over the numbers, distribution, and delineation of the council areas.
He said going on appeal after the lower court has delivered its judgment is just to create some largesse for his cronies in the legal profession and some officers in the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in the name of Legal fees, consultancy fee, and other ancillary expenses.
What the Local Government Areas need now is their autonomy to perform their functions as enshrined in the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), so they can deliver the dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots. Return their markets and allow them to collect all their constitutionally guaranteed rates and revenues, which you have taken away and given to your cronies under the guise of raising the revenue of the state
Also, the former lawmaker, chairman of Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC), and representative of the state on the board of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC described the six months of Aiyedatiwa in office as a colossal failure.
Edema said there was nothing tangible Governor Aiyedatiwa has done with the resources that have accrued to the state from the federation account since he took over on December 27 last year.
He said six months is long enough to make an impact, just like the late General Murtala Mohammed did when he took over as military head of state in 1976.
According to him, the prices of food were reduced considerably within Muritala’s six months in office. He created seven additional states and also laid the foundation for the establishment of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja within the six months that the late general ruled the entire country. That is visionary leadership.
Edema lamented that all ongoing projects embarked upon by late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu have been abandoned while no new one was initiated since he assumed office six months ago.
He alleged that the governor was warehousing funds meant for the development of the state to buy voters’ conscience during the November 16 governorship election.
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