Outrage has greeted the appointments made by the Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu into the state palliatives and response committees on C
Outrage has greeted the appointments made by the Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu into the state palliatives and response committees on COVID-19 including the appointment of the Governor’s son, Babajide Akeredolu as the Secretary of the Response Fund Committee on COVID-19 as well as the appointment of the State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Jacob Adebo popularly known as ‘Idajo’ as member of the Palliatives Committee, DailyPost is reporting.
The Governor had constituted the two committees as part of measures to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on residents of the state even as the state just recorded its index case.
While describing the inclusion of Babajide in the Committee as a wrong move by the governor, some of the residents said that it smacks off doubt and insincerity on the party of the state government.
According to one of the residents who gave his name simply as Kola, “this govt needs to be guided, advised and directed well.
“I suspect something is either wrong or missing somewhere. This is a serious time that we need to address some life-threatening issue such as COVID-19. They say desperate time requires desperate measures. Setting up COVID-19 committee in the state to include some funny characters (Idajo) and now fund-raising committee to include son is nauseatingly disgusting.”
Another resident who craved anonymity said, “How can the Governor set up a committee and make his son the secretary? I bet that nobody will give his or her hard-earned money to this Committee. Why must the governor involve his son and family in all activities of Ondo State. This move truly casts doubt on the sincerity of the state government in regards to whatever fund may be generated,” she said.
For Mr. Ayo Ogendengbe, he stated that, “My view is that though his son is qualified to be on the committee, discretion should have made the governor not to appoint his son or any of his children to any public position. This is Nigeria where people see call to service as call to come and chop and the people believe that since the father and mother are already in control of the kitchen, other people should be called to chop because the children of the cook already have their food dished in the kitchen.
“Be that as it may, I had expected to see our wealthy and big citizens, who themselves can donate huge money and attract good money from their likes and other people, to have constituted this fund-raising committee. Even if they do not like Aketi, I’m sure they’ll put that aside for the noble and worthy cause to save themselves and their state from death by this ravaging pandemic and write their names in gold in Ondo and even Nigeria’s Hall of Fame.”
However, a resident, Jimoh who differed from the stance of others over the development said Akeredolu did not goof over the development. He stressed that the former governor of the state, late Olusegun Agagu appointed his biological brother, Femi Agagu as Chief of Staff during his tenure while the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko also appointed his biological brother, Prof. Femi Mimiko as the Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, AAUA. Jimoh stressed that there’s no justification for the attacks on Akeredolus’s decision to appoint his own son into government’s committee as he said that precedence had already been laid.
