As countdown to election into Ondo State House of Assembly draws nigh on Saturday, I humbly and with a sense of responsibility plead earnestly with the enlightened electorate to give some thought to the harrowing and intractable problem of electing public spirited and enlightened House to complement the efforts of the executive arm in the onerous task of good government.
And ideologically oriented, disciplined and well focused Assembly imbued with industry and hardwork is since qua non to quick passage of appropriation bill and other ancillary matters predispose to good governance and democracy.
Towards this goal, the Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu appreciates the power of the people in the smooth conduct of All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration in the state. The people’s traditional predilection for progressivism and welfarist programmes as the barometer on which the well- being of the people could be gauged is far from being doubted.
Hence, the urgent need for the next Assembly to be constituted with elected members of APC that are tested, trusted and amenable to party discipline to implement in full throttle the laudable programmes of the government controlled by APC.
In this connection, our good people of Ondo State should not be unduly disturbed and distressed about the poor showing of APC in the just-concluded National Assembly election.
We should not be oblivious of the fact that no man is infallible. Any human organisation is susceptible to mistakes and errors. We will be humble enough to accept this obvious failing with a view to making necessary amends that the state and All Progressives Congress (APC) Ondo State wing may move forward.
However, the grievous and costly political error APC hitherto gave room for barefaced political brigandage and manipulations of the opposition, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its co-travellers to have stolen the people’s mandate with reckless abandon, in the last exercise.
This must not dampen our enthusiasm and courage by any jolt to go all out as a good team, indeed our first eleven out of the conglomerate of aspiring politicians jockeying for political power without corresponding qualities and requisite qualifications to back it up.
On every cloud, there is always a silver lining. It is the conviction of vast majority of our people and some elite (I stand to be corrected anyway) that Ondo state is lucky, this time around taking into cognizance the prevailing peculiar political circumstance, to have Mr Rotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, a political and human rights’ activist of progressive bent as elected governor at this material time and for the first instance, a likeable, warm personality and a legal luminary of robust accomplishment that can truly mobilize the entire people thus expanding the already depleted frontiers of progressives in the state.
Ours is a progressive government even though there are some chaffs which must indeed be shifted from the grains/wheat with the passage. Our democracy inspite of its age is still evolving and taking shape with time. It all requires industry hardwork, patience and spirit of tolerance of individuals’ idiosyncrasies.
As far as we are concerned, Ondo State used to be the major stronghold of progressive politics in the entire south west. It was the nursery of progressive and radical politics; spread its tentacles to all the nooks and crannies of Yorubaland, and made impressive incursion amongst the liberal minded other ethnic groups in the country.
Ondo State as the avant-garde and cynosure of democracy upholding its tenets which foster all virtues of western democracies and any global concept and ideal that promote and foster education, enlightenment and material well being of the people.
Notwithstanding the momentary drawbacks and impediments on our progressive path masterminded by some obdurate elderly political elite and their unscrupulous political “verandah boys” who futilely tried to obfuscate the public with half truth, outlandish doctrine, gross mis-interpretation to distortions of facts about the political exploits of our revered political ancestors. May God bless their souls.
We shall remain resolute, unshaken, unmovable as rock of Gibraltar and tell the whole wide world umpteen times that politics is a calling to showcase the merits of our sound education of the mind and cognitive superiority acquired over the years with a view to deploying technical knowhow and fastrack the development and progress of one’s community and material well-being of the populace.
Our House of Assembly should be a training ground for the honourable members to exact their wealth of experience and knowledge in the public theatre. It is also a veritable platform to ascend the pinnacle of government. It is meant and designed for only serious and earnest politicians gifted with regime of mental magnitude and spiritual depth to weather any given political storm that may arise to rear its ugly head from time to time whilst deliberating the serious business of governance.
Such hallowed chambers requires men and women of culture, discipline, integrity imbued with calmness and serenity of mind; divine wisdom and intellect to cogitate on the affairs of the state and to a whole hog in proffering solution to multi-faceted problems of nationhood.
By the same token, it must be rigorously canvassed that all APC candidates should be given people’s mandate freely given on Saturday to occupy Ondo House of Assembly(ODHA) to give overwhelming necessary support to the state governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu (SAN) for the untrammeled smooth running of government to run its full course without any distraction from the opposition notably the PDP which has nothing to offer the people if its sixteen (16) years’ grand misrule, fraud and large scale corruption is anything to go by.
For APC due to its welfarist programmes knows precisely where the shoe pinches the common man. There is need in fact ongoing plan to revitalize education with a view to give momentum to free education destroyed by the immediate past administration controlled by Dr Olusegun Mimiko led PDP regime.
The Owena multi-purpose dam is begging for urgent attention. It must be revisited to supply drinking water to the people in Ondo Central Senatorial district and promote agriculture (farming) especially to boost massive food production.
The above items adumbrated are amongst other infrastructure that Akeredolu led APC are of utmost priority for a progressive party to faithfully implement to the benefit of all and sundry.
In view of the peculiar circumstances the state is grappling with, the opposition led by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lacks the strength of character, moral worth and edifying antecedents to take Ondo State to promised land.

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