The Peoples Democratic Party Ondo State Chapter wishes to express its utmost displeasure against the Governor of Ondo State, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa, over his continued lack of transparency in governance, which accounts for his refusal to properly constitute his cabinet in the last 90 days.
Apart from the fact the Governor is already running foul of the law, specifically section 192(6) of the 1999 Constitution (as altered) which stipulates that the Governor MUST choose his cabinet members within the sixty days in office after his swearing-in, the Governor has equally failed the moral test of inclusive governance which is the hallmark of participatory democracy.
Our Party believes very firmly that the unwillingness of the Governor to properly constitute his cabinet stems from his selfish desire to continue manipulating the system to feather his own nest. This is evident in the vexatious awards of new contracts without properly engaging and robustly debating the proposal with full cabinet members, chosen from across the Local Governments of the State as envisaged by the constitution.
This act of marginalization perpetrated against the unrepresented Local Governments by the Governor, which is also in violation of Sec.14, sub. (2c)&(4), has unfortunately created an avenue for the Governor to misappropriate, misdirect and mismanage public funds to serve his personal interest.
Our Party finds the latest award of 32 units of a four-bedroom presidential buildings intended to accommodate cabinet members, as not only grossly misplaced priority but cruelly and massively inflated for personal aggrandizement.
The award of contract for the so-called upgrading and enhancement of the landscape of Chief Reuben Fasoranti Park is not only a reckless and mindless misappropriation and mismanagement of public funds but colossally injurious to the attached name of our living legend, Pa Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti, who has been living a life of modesty and impactful service to humanity.
We are yet to know what parameters the Governor used in arriving at a whopping sum of N281,000,000.00 million naira for the construction of just a unit of the four-bedroom terrace presidential building in Ondo State, which amounts to N8,168,423,901.77 BILLION Naira for the total 32 units of the four-bedroom presidential buildings.
It is equally disgusting, disturbing and unkind of the governor to attempt to mesmerize and hypnotize the public with crude nomenclature and wicked terminology of “upgrading and vertical enhancement of landscape” which is only intended to vertically fleece away a humongous N3,687,989,927.78 BILLION Naira of public funds.
The Governor simply took undue advantage of an improperly constituted cabinet to commit this unpardonable atrocity against humanity.
Under the previous administrations, the status of the Internally Generated Revenues (IGRs) and Federal monthly allocations from the Federation accounts to the Ondo State Government were clearly shown and known. But under this deceitful administration, no one knows what the State is specifically getting from the Federation account on monthly basis neither is the internally generated revenue known by any other person except the Governor and his Commissioner for Finance.
We certainly, can no longer tolerate the Governor’s executive rascality and excesses in governance.
Our Party does not only consider these actions as a gross abuse of office but also a flagrant violation of the constitution that demands legal actions. We, therefore, call on the Governor to show transparency in governance and immediately make known to the public the runnings of government, as the government belongs to the people, and the people also deserve to know how the government is being run on their behalf.
We also strictly advise the Governor to reverse and revoke the outrageous and heavily padded contract awards in the overall interest of the public and for the sake of posterity.
We are by this statement, alerting the Governor of our Party’s readiness to institute legal actions against his administration, after fourteen working days from today, if he refuses and/or fails to properly constitute his cabinet as mandated by the constitution, as well as his refusal and/or failure to reverse and revoke the irritating and infuriating contract awards herein stated above.
Leye Igbabo
Director of Media And Publicity, PDP Ondo State
