Ondo State’s socio-political organisation, Ondo Solidarity Forum (OSF), has expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for resolving the political logjam in the state, resulting in the restoration of the deputy governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa as Acting Governor.
The group, in a statement on Wednesday by its chairman, Dr. Oladipupo Okeyomi, and deputy chairman, Hon. Femi Ogunleye, described the long-drawn controversy over who takes charge in the absence of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu as needless and avoidable.
“We are grateful to Mr. President for rescuing Ondo State from the now begone hiatus of leadership crisis, and especially for helping to make concerned politicians in the state to uphold the sanctity of the Nigerian Constitution.
“We equally commend the high level of maturity displayed by His Excellency, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa while the whole drama lasted, even as we trust that he will draw all to himself and let bygones be bygones”, it stated.
In the same vein, the OSF appealed to the state’s House of Assembly and cabinet members of the executive arm to cooperate with the acting governor and ensure that development is not retarded in anyway in the absence of Governor Akeredolu who is currently on medical leave.
It lamented, however, that the state was yet to come up with its annual budget, attributing the problem to the lack of leadership arising from the inability of the deputy governor to take charge in acting capacity, urging that Aiyedatiwa should now swing into action.
The OSF prayed for the quick recovery of Governor Akeredolu, describing his tenure as governor as full of actions that resonated in various achievements, especially in terms of road constructions and human empowerment.
The OSF also enjoined the federal Ministry of Works to expedite action on newly awarded federal road projects coursing through Ondo State, as it noted that the bad state of the roads had adversely affected development in the locality.
“We are particularly concerned with the dualisation of the Ilesha-Akure-Benin expressway and that of Ore-Ondo-Akure road, which as single lanes had claimed so may innocent lives.
“That aside, we urge the federal government to expedite action on opening up the Igbokoda seaport, to boost commerce and trade for the hardworking people of Ondo State, and also boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) index,” the OSF appealed.
