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Babajide Akeredolu, son of the late governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, has asked Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to complete all projects started by his father if the governor genuinely wanted to honour his late father.
Babajide, who also questioned the sincerity of Governor Aiyedatiwa by naming a yet-to-be-completed project after his late father, noted that “Naming a project after someone before its completion is both premature and insincere.”
But, a top government official who pleaded anonymity told LEADERSHIP that Babajide Akeredolu’s claims were untrue.
The government official stated that the condescending tone of Babajide in his statement over the unavailability of the governor at the family events showed “his lack of respect for the office of the governor.”
In a statement made available to journalists in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Monday, Babajide described as “lack of courtesy and respect” by the state government to organise a memorial lecture for his late father without involving any member of the Akeredolu family.
He said, “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.”
Pointedly, Babajide, who commended the Governor Aiyedatiwa for performing the groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed Judiciary Complex, a project initiated by former Governor Akeredolu, said “True immortality lies in completing the project and ensuring its functionality.”
While describing how best to honour his late father, Babajide asked Governor Aiyedatiwa to “as a matter of urgency, prioritise the completion of key projects initiated by our late patriarch.”
According to him, “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:
“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.
“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.
“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.”
But reacting to the outbursts against the State government, the top government official, who pleaded anonymity, said: “Is Babajide unaware of the public attacks and unrestrained abuse that his mother, former First Lady, has meted 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 the job done, had been nowhere near the projects for close to two years before Governor Aiyedatiwa mobilised them back to the 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 de facto Governor for three years.
“Babajide should return all government properties he took away before arrogantly making statements on how to run the government.”
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