Sola Olatunji Akure
A social Political Group, Ondo Progressives Forum (OPF) Says Ondo State may face a deep economic crisis and massive social gloom after the APC primary election scheduled to hold this Saturday.
Speaking with newsmen in Akure the State capital on Tuesday, the spokesman of the group , Akintan Babasanmi alleged that certain sources from the government house confirmed that Governor Ayedatiwa had “virtually vacuumed the state treasury to serve his re-election campaign, leaving the State in dire straits and on the verge of failing to pay salaries after the APC Governorship primary election. ”
Babasanmi further claimed that he had it on a good authority that the Governor
has almost emptied the treasury, while some of his close allies have been worried what will happen after the election.
Babasanmi who further frowned at the alleged reckless spending of Governor Ayedayiwa said that the Governor is too desperate over his ambition while calling on the good people of the state to reject Ayedatiwa during the APC Primary on Saturday.
According to him, the Governor has been handing out large sums of money and contracts to various individuals and groups in exchange for their support.
“One particularly concerning incident involves the national chairman of a political party, to whom Ayedatiwa allegedly gave a staggering $1 million and a contract worth a whopping #26 billion naira in the state. This kind of blatant buying of support raises serious questions about the governor’s ethical standards and commitment to good governance”.
“In addition to this, Ayedatiwa has also been accused of splurging on other key figures in the political landscape as, a prominent politician, is said to have received $4 million from the governor, along with his team. This kind of excessive spending not only undermines the integrity of the electoral process but also sets a concern precedent for future political campaigns”.
Babasanmi also knocked the Governor over his decision to trade away the state seaport project to a single individual in order to curry favour and support for his ambition, the decision which he added negate the previous agreement of joint venture between the state and the federal government.
“Ayedatiwa’s decision to trade away the seaport project to a single individual for his governorship project, rather than following the agreed-upon joint venture between the state and federal government, has raised eyebrows. This move not only lacks transparency but also puts the interests of the state at risk”.
The spokesman also disclosed that Governor Ayedatiwa has allocated a whopping sum of ten billion naira for local endorsement as well as five hundred thousand dollars for the thirteen state Assembly members, adding that such extravagant life and reckless spending for endorsement called for questioning on the part of the Governor who is failing to prioritise the welfare of the residents of the state, but too desperate to secure the party primary at all cost.
“Moreover, reports have emerged that Ayedatiwa has allocated a whopping #10 billion naira for local endorsements, as well as $500,000 for the 13 state assembly members. Such extravagant spending on endorsements calls to question the governor’s priorities and his commitment to serving the people of Ondo State”.
Babasanmi now called on the residents of the state to demand accountability from their leaders, noting that elected officials should be focused on delivering tangible benefits to the people, rather than engaging in a reckless spending spree in a bid to secure political support.
He however charged the residents of the State to hold their leaders accountable and demand transparency, integrity in the political process, stressing that “the extravagant spending of Ayedatiwa for endorsements is a clear example of the need for greater oversight and accountability in the state political system. “