Give more quality leadership in your second term, Olatujoye counsels Gov Akeredolu.
– Steve Ovirih.
Senior legal luminary and former Director of Legal Services , Central Bank of Nigeria, Barr Anthony Olatujoye has congratulated Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for his reelection for second term as Ondo State Governor. The Prince of Erinje kingdom in Okitipupa Local Government who had an exclusive telephone chat with thepolity.net said Gov. Akeredolu’s victory at the polls means more work for him, noting that the people had believed in him by voting him, it’s time for him to further justify the belief and trust the voters reposed in his candidacy.
Olatujoye noted that when a student does well and passes , he must not relent so as to continue to fair well; hence the second term offer gifted the Ondo State Governor by the voting masses should be used to consolidate and expand Development plan that will cut across Ondo State and not just the state capital.
He added that the government of Ondo State can go the whole hug in this second term of Gov. Akeredolu by dualising the road network from Akure down to Igbokoda as such a massive road construction work will put the tenure of Akeredolu in people’s memory forever. ” In his first term, he constructed the flyover at Ore. More than constructing a flyover is the need for the dualisation of the route from Akure connecting the entire swath of the southern senatorial district of Ondo State. You will find out that if Gov. Akeredolu can summon the political will to do a project like this , his tenure will be etched in the people’s memory forever,” Prince Barr. Olatujoye noted.
He stressed that the basic challenge of governance is the quality of projects they execute in the life span of their administration, noting that while Gov. Akeredolu has embarked on some commendable work in his first term, he should not relax and become complacent in his second term in office.
” I heard the Governor say on TV that he did so many works in Akure the state capital in his first term. Well, that’s much appreciated. However, in this second term that he will begin soon, he has more work to do.
” Take for instance in Ondo South, efforts should be made to revive the moribund Oluwa Glass along Igbokoda road, the Okitipupa Oil Palm PLC at Okitipupa and the Bitumen exploitation and exploration at Irele. The South which has all the natural resources also has all the moribund industries, so attention should be paid to these projects beyond the rhetorics of party manifestoes.” Olatujoye maintained.
“It is so unfortunate that Oluwa Glass could be run aground like that before our very eyes and successive government in Ondo State could not summon the adminstrative and political will and the business acumen to revive the once perfectly functioning International Glass industry. Come to think of it, the IGR Oluwa Glass will return to Ondo State is better left in the realm of conjecture; I mean it’s going to be huge and beside that there will be massive job opportunities for the youths. If Gov. Akeredolu can revive Oluwa Glass, it will be a win win for both the state economy and the people of Ondo State.
“Same thing for Okitipupa oil Palm PLC. It beggars belief that a Public Liability Company once quoted with relish in the Nigerian Stock Exchange can be allowed to go under like that before our very eyes. Governor Akeredolu’s second term economic blue print should factor the revival of this moribund cash cow so that in years to come it will be said that Akeredolu did it.” Olatujoye enthused.
Reminded that Gov. Akeredolu is constructing a by pass that will link Igbokoda, Barr. Anthony Olatujoye commended his efforts but insisted that the Governor should endeavor to embark on the dualisation of Okitipupa /Igbokoda route , stressing that the road has been due for expansion and dualisation over the years.
” I want Rotimi Akeredolu to write his name in gold in this second term. I want him to provide more of quality governance and leadership. I don’t want him to listen to sychophants whose advice are to favor their own selfish interests. If the massive votes he got testify that he did well in his first term, I want him to know that there is room for improvement in his second term.
” Take for instance, the entire Ondo South does not have electricity supply safe for some areas in Odigbo. That does not bode well for governance . The government must do everything within its power to ensure power gets back to those southern district communities that have been wallowing in darkness. There is no doubt this unfortunate development must have hampered on their local economy.
I am hoping that this administration will put its foot on the ground and exert the necessary influence to correct this anomaly,” Barr. Olatujoye counseled.
On the issue of the ” end SARS protest” by Nigerian youths, the legal luminary said the Special Anti Robbery Squad’s misdemeanor is a reflection of the challenge with Nigeria. He said the country’s major challenge is indiscipline and it cuts across different facets of our society.
He said SARS’ beat naturally was to arrest the rising trend of anti robbery, but the squad has overreached itself and resolved to demeaning brutality of the members of the public whose taxes feed them.
He said the failure of Government and the appropriate authorities to rein in SARS long time ago has made matters to reach a head and the youths whose rights have been abridged and denied are not taking things lying down.
In his opinion, Barrister Olatujoye advised that government should end SARS as demanded and end all traces of police brutality across the country and not only that , those officers of the SARS squad who had indulged in any of the dehumanising atrocities that had given the squad a bad name should be brought to book so as to deter others within the Nigerian Police.
