REVEALED: Akeredolu spent only 4 days in Ondo state in June 2018

Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu spent only four days out of a possible 30 in the state in June 2018, SUNSHINE HERALD can confirm.

Checks by our reporter showed that the governor was either in Abuja or Lagos for most part of the month.

With him playing a major role in the just concluded National Convention of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Akeredolu was in Abuja for the planning.

The governor, SUNSHINE HERALD also learnt travelled to China within the month to meet with investors.

Akeredolu started the month on the 1st of June with a solidarity welcome for former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and governorship candidate of the APC in the July 14, 2018 election in Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi at the Akure airport.

After receiving Fayemi at the airport, Akeredolu with a number of his cabinet members joined a convoy to Ado Ekiti, a trip which turned bloody, after a mobile policeman on illegal duty fired shots which hit the DG of Fayemi's campaign organisation, Opeyemi Bamidele.

His first engagement for the month was the state executive council held in Monday, June 4, 2018, where the state government approved the appointment of new paramount rulers for Arogbo-Ijaw and Ajue communities.

The governor was said to have travelled to Abuja immediately after the state exco meeting.

Although SUNSHINE HERALD could not ascertain his date of departure, a source within government circle told our reporter on June 8 that Governor Akeredolu was in China on an investment drive.

He wasn't seen in the public again until June 12, where he in the company of other state governors attended the ceremony organised by the federal government to honour the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola and other pro-democracy activists.

This made the governor to miss a state-organised event in Akure to commemorate June 12.

Akeredolu resumed work for the second time in the month on Wednesday, June 13, 2018, where he hosted the management team of African Development Bank, ADB in his office in Akure.

The governor later in the day celebrated the daily breaking of Ramadan, Iftar with Muslim faithful at the International Event Centre, The Dome in Akure.

As usual, Akeredolu travelled out of the state the next day, but returned to receive the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo who was attending the 80th birthday of the Chairman of Toyota Nigeria, and Proprietor of Elizade Motors, Chief Michael Adeojo.

The governor also joined the vice president to meet with Christian leaders in the state.

Akeredolu was in Igede-Ekiti, Ekiti state, on Saturday, June 16 to join the campaign train of Kayode Fayemi, before receiving party leaders across the nation on Monday, June 18 for the flag-off rally of Fayemi.

He received the Vice President on Tuesday, June 19, where they all proceeded to Ado Ekiti for APC rally.

The governor again joined the vp to meet with traditional rulers in Ekiti state the next day.

He immediately travelled to Abuja to prepare for the national convention of the APC as a member of the convention planning committee.

The national convention of the party held on Saturday, June 23, 2018.

While in Abuja, Governor Akeredolu had a dinner meeting with the US Ambassador to Nigeria, W. Stuart Symington and the United Mission team on Sunday, June 24, at the Ondo House.

Governor Akeredolu's last appearance in Ondo state was on Wednesday, June 27, when he visited the site of fire outbreak at the popular business center, Adjacent the Deji of Akure palace, six days after the incident.

The governor thereafter met with workers in the state under the aegis of Joint Negotiating Committee, JNC which had given the state government an ultimatum to meet its demands or face industrial action.

The governor was seen by our reporter leaving Akure immediately after the meeting.

He was again only seen in the public on Friday, June 29 at the funeral of the first female chartered accountant in sub-Saharan Africa and the second female President of ICAN, Chief Mrs Olutoyin Olusola Olakunrin at St Paul’s Church, Anglican Communion, Breadfruit in Lagos.

Speaking with SUNSHINE HERALD, on the implication of Akeredolu's frequent trips outside the state, a public affairs analyst, Barrister Yemi Adetoyinbo condemned the governor's continous absence from the state.

"If the information is true, it only goes to the fact that we should elect leaders that will be accountable to the electorates that elected them. We should elect leaders that will live by the oath of office they took. The governor of Ondo state, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, ordinarily should respect the oath of office he took, including full residence in Ondo state.

"The governor of Ondo state should be able to stay at home and work, more so, he is a new governor that has just spent over one year in office. He is a governor that should give his dividends of democracy, if it is true that the people of Ondo state massively voted for him, that he won 12 out of the 18 local governments in the state which is not a joke.

"As a governor, he should stay in the state and be at home with the yearnings and aspirations of the people. He should be able to address squarely the welfare of the people of Ondo state, more so there are challenges in the state, and at the same time, we have not seen dividends of democracy from the government. His one year plus has not delivered the dividends of democracy, and this may largely account for what we are saying now, that the governor has not been at home with the people.

"We cannot be having an absentee governor in a state with many challenges, so the governor should be called to order, and I'm advising him to stay at home and do the job. Gone are the days when governors will say they are gallivanting around the globe attracting investments when there is non," he said.

Efforts to speak with Segun Ajiboye, the Chief Press Secretary, CPS to Governor Akeredolu proved abortive, as he did not pick multiple calls to his phone.

He also has not replied a text message sent by our reporter as at the time of filing this report.

http://www.sunshineherald.news/akeredolu-spent-only-4-days-in-ondo-state-in-june-2018/

One of the worst governors in Nigeria so far. With his beard like Santa Claus own

Very useless man indeed. One of the beneficiaries of the useless change mantra. Who knew Aketi till he started riding on the then popularity of APC?