Re – I Can’t Handover Government To My Deputy
The attention of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Agboola Ajayi has again been drawn to a statement credited to Commissioner for Information, Mr Donald Ojogo where he ignorantly proclaimed that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu would not hand over the running of government to his Deputy because of political differences.
These venoms and vetuperations oozing from the commissioner in his unbridled desire and fruitless efforts to desecrate the constitutionally established Office of the Deputy Governor of the state clearly show the excruciating pains and whammies the exit of the deputy governor must have caused them.
Ordinarily, one expects Mr Governor to bring to the front burner the background of his profession as a lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN) but surprisingly, the Governor has chosen this perversion of justice, by allowing his media aides to go astray in a matter of constitutionality.
Section 190(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) is apposite in this circumstances. On our part, we will continue to pray fervently for Mr Governor’s quickest recovery.
However, it should be noted that Mr Governor is at liberty to handover or not within 21 days after which the constitution becomes operational.
Ostensibly, refusal and failure of Mr Governor to handover the running of government to his deputy while in self isolation and temporarily incapacitated underscore his absolute disregard for the rule of law; a spite on the people and a direct assault on the provisions of the constitution which he swore to uphold.
Not only that, his deliberate obstacles to ensure that government continues to run while he’s in self isolation as a result of the fact that he has been tested positive for the COVID-19 puts lips service to his hypocratic war against the ravaging pandemic.
Our candid advice is that the energy decipates to pull down the office and person of the deputy governor should be channelled towards resolving the lingering crisis in the health sector particularly, the current strike embarked on by medical practitioners in the state, in the middle of this pandemic. Nobody will take us seriously when doctors are on strike and yet we pretend to be fighting a pandemic. It will only indicate that we’re taking the health of the people for granted.
The assertion by the commissioner that the Deputy Governor is a threat to good governance is illusionary or perhaps the Honourable Commissioner for Information now suffers amnesia.
The Deputy Governor has a track record of performance in the various offices he has held – first as supervisory Councillor, LG Chairman, Member of the National Assembly – where he served as the chairman of the House Committee on NDDC and even now as the Deputy Governor.
Nothing serves as threat to good governance than the current nepotism and lackadaisical attitude towards the prioritisation of people’s welfare.
It’s imperative to inform the general public that, Mr Governor and members of his kitchen cabinet have deliberately barred the Deputy Governor from all government activities as all the daily itinerary and work schedules released from Chief Of Protocols, have not allocated any function or duty to the person or office of the Deputy Governor in recent time.
The Deputy Governor empathises with the good people of Ondo State, at this critical period of our statehood that Mr Governor has decided to personalise administration and governance of our dear state.
Comrade Allen Sowore
Media Adviser to the Deputy Governor.
