Boroffice to Akeredolu: You are alienating Ondo APC leaders

0

___
1. The attention of Senator (Prof.) Robert Ajayi Boroffice has been drawn to the press statement of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, clarifying recent media reports on Governor Akeredolu’s uncomplimentary utterances castigating Senator Boroffice’s membership of All progressives Congress and suggesting spurious anti-party activities.

2. While it is incontrovertible that Senator Boroffice represents the Ondo North senatorial district on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, Governor Akeredolu was reported as follows: “The Governor does not deny the legitimacy of Senator Ajayi Boroffice’s position as the senator representing Ondo North senatorial district.

“However, the point Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, made was that he knows of only two APC senators in the state who are currently working with the state government for the upliftment of Ondo State”.

3. We had previously refrained from joining issues with the governor on the pages of newspaper to avoid further heating up of the polity. However, the referenced press statement clarifying the position of governor vis-à-vis the earlier vitriolic utterances of the governor where the governor reportedly condemned Senator Boroffice for anti-party activities raises the need to set facts from fictions. Hence, the birth of this press rejoinder.

4. The insinuation and innuendoes contained in the press statement suggested that the senator has not been working for the progress and development of Ondo State in general and Ondo North senatorial district in particular. Given the several developmental strides that have been spurred by the eventful tenure of the Distinguished Senator, such suggestion of non-performance is wholly incorrect. It is a cherry-picked attempt to taint the senator with bad name in order to hang him. Nothing can be farther from the truth.

5. Setting the records straight, the governor has sent two private communications to the Senate since his inauguration as Governor of Ondo State on the 24th of February, 2017, in respect of confirmation of appointments from Ondo State. In the consideration of the governor’s requests, Senator Boroffice, despite the underlying differences, rallied his colleagues to support Governor Akeredolu’s position in the interest of the good people of Ondo State. Therefore, the suggestion that Senator Boroffice is not working for the upliftment of Ondo State is false and misleading.

6. The Distinguished Senator wishes to place on record that the governor has not extended any invitation to him to attend any meeting since the inauguration of the governor. Therefore, the issue of turning down any invitation does not arise.

7. In promoting and projecting the programmes of our great party, All progressives Congress and in fulfillment of the Party’s manifesto to the people of Ondo North senatorial district, Senator Boroffice has initiated and installed solar-powered electricity street lights in more than 80 per cent of the 72 wards of Ondo North senatorial district. A visit to the district will clear any conceived doubt. The reach is expanding daily.

8. In addition, Senator Boroffice constructed more than thirty-five solar-powered boreholes in various communities of the Ondo North senatorial district, namely Emure Ile in Owo LG, Isuada in Owo LG, Idogun in Ose LG, Ayepe in Iwaro Oka, Ayegunle Oka, Sagari Village, Ikanmu – Oka, Ago Iwoye, Ikese Oka, Ikese opposite First Bank Plc, Ogbagi – Akoko, Fajuyi Street – opposite PHCN office in Owo, Ose, Oba – Akoko, Erusun – Akoko, Supare – Akoko, Arigidi – Akoko, Ipe – Akoko, Iboje – Oka and Ikaramu – Akoko among others.

9. Senator Boroffice also installed over twenty-five electricity transformers located in various communities of the Ondo North senatorial district, namely Oba – Akoko, Ilepa in Ikare – Akoko, Ise – Akoko, Iyere in Owo, Waterwork Ose, Owo, Owase Oka, Agbokela in Ikare – Akoko, Ute – Ose, Idogun in Ose LG, Semu Semu sawmill in Ikare among others.

10. It is also on record that Senator Boroffice recently built and commissioned an Obstetric hospital in Iboje Oka to cater for the medical needs of the people Ondo North senatorial district.

11. Also, in order to aid self-employment generation drive, Senator Boroffice conceived and built three agricultural plants. Cashew processing plant in Ikakuma in Akoko NorthEast Local Government. Biofuel producing plant in Ajowa in Akoko NorthWest Local Government. Five Garri-processing plants were also located at Ipele in Owo LG, Ifira, Iboropa, Ago Oka and Ebo.

12, Furthermore, Senator Boroffice has facilitated the construction of three state-of-the-art Skill Acquisition Centres in Ikaram, Oka – Akoko and Ifon in Ose LG.

13. In the area of formal education, Senator Boroffice built, furnished and commissioned five blocks of classrooms at Ikaro, Oka, Obato and other parts of Ondo North senatorial district.

14. It is also on record that Senator Boroffice has attracted the following Federal Institutions to Ondo North senatorial district; National Science Laboratory in Akungba, Bioresources Development Centre, Technology Incubation Centre, Regional Centre for Leather Research, National Aerospace Laboratory and Regional Centre for Chemical Technology.

15. The above stated facts showed that Senator Boroffice has been working for the upliftment of Ondo State before and after the inauguration of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. The people of Ondo State should be reassured that Senator Boroffice will continue to work for the upliftment of Ondo State and her people.

16. Despite the controversial emergence of Governor Akeredolu as the candidate of All Progressives Congress in 2016, Senator Boroffice worked tirelessly for the victory of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, during the governorship poll which held on the 26th of November, 2016. The voters at his polling unit are living witnesses to this assertion.

17. Today, the attitude of governor to other party leaders in Ondo State, who do not see issues from his perspective, has unfortunately polarized the Ondo State chapter of the party and alienated a critical mass of the party leadership and supporters as well.

18. Based on the above referenced developments, Senator Boroffice is of the view that all is not well with All Progressives Congress in the Sunshine State. Rather than embrace the challenges of leadership and reach out to every leader of the party in Ondo State, the governor preferred to run the government of Ondo State and the party with his trifling followership. He continues to erroneously lay claim to the ownership of the party. He continues to threaten other party leaders with threat of expulsion from the party.

19. The National Leadership of our great party cannot forget in a hurry the road we had to travel to reach where we are; it is our collective will and unity of purpose that have taken us this far. To destroy the legacy is to destroy the great bond that binds us together as members of the All Progressives Congress.

20. It is our unshakable article of faith that moral justice is an armament of political and socio-economic progress. There can be no justice when someone appropriates our common wealth and violates our common law (APC Constitution, 2014 as amended) that binds us together.

21. We therefore call on the National Leadership of our great party to urgently intervene in the crisis plaguing the Ondo State chapter of the party. We cannot afford to sweep under the carpet issues polarizing the APC in Ondo State as we move into another round of congresses and general elections.

22. It is for this reason that His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari has called for reconciliation of leaders and resolutions of disputed issues. This is the wise road to travel and we cannot dissent. Therefore, Senator Boroffice wishes to express full confidence in the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led presidential committee. We fully support our National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on this course.

23. Conclusively, Senator Boroffice believes what makes a man great is not only what he does but also what he refuses to do. That is why when our detractors go low, we go high. We always maintain equanimity of mind. Thus, we are neither excited by praises nor depressed when we are attacked. We remain focused so that God’s purpose for us can be fulfilled. When the divinity in the inner man dominates the animality it manifests humanity but when the animality in the inner man dominates the divinity it manifests beastliness.

SIGNED.

Kayode Fakuyi,
Media Assistant to Senator Ajayi Boroffice

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.