Ondo State Government Angry Over Depressing Reports On Akeredolu

By Ayodele Oni

The Ondo State Government is angry over depressing reports in the Media on the state of health of the State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu

In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Mrs Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, the State Government dismissed the reports as grossly unfair and exaggerated.

It condemned, in particular, the report which attributed  to the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Adamu, which stated that  Akeredolu, is in “a state of extreme incapacity and hospitalised.”

Commissioner Ademola-Olateju, said that  the report was at once mischievous, wicked and insensitive sponsored by “desperate politicians.”

A National Newspaper had quoted the APC Chairman Senator Abdullahi Adamu, as saying at a meeting with APC State Chairmen that  Governor Akeredolu is incapacitated and hospitalised.

Ademola-Olateju asked members of the public, especially, Ondo people,  to ignore the report and explained that the National Chairman was quoted out of context.

The statement said:

“The attention of Ondo State Government has been drawn to a report, credited to the Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, in the 11th July 2023.

“The headline, ‘Akeredolu in state of extreme incapacity, hospitalised’, bore a tinge of the usual mischievous, wicked and insensitive reportage, sponsored by desperate politicians”

“The Chairman of the APC in Ondo State, Hon. Ade Adetimehin, who attended the meeting, has debunked the report as untrue and totally disconnected from the statement of the Chairman at the event.

“The National Chairman  was indeed excited at the reports on the rate of recovery of the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and urged all those present at the meeting to pray for his quick return.

“It, therefore, smacks of mischief and unabashed abandonment of professional ethics for a reporter to present this gross misrepresentation, a mischievous twist, as news.

“At no time did the Chairman mention that the Governor was in a state of ‘extreme incapacity’. He is, evidently, not in any critical state that should warrant this clearly reprehensible conduct as he still sent a post to the Executive Council Committee platform yesterday.

“Members of the public are advised to ignore this news as the contents therein exist in the realm of the imagination of workers of iniquity.

“Mr. Governor is NOT incapacitated. He will return to his duty as soon as the doctors certify him fully fit to do so.”

Akeredolu has been on medical leave for over a month with the full approval of the State House of Assembly. He transferred power to his Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in an acting capacity.

Governor Akeredolu on Monday informed the state lawmakers of his desire to extend his medical leave to allow him to recuperate after the medical attention.

Akeredolu in the letter stated that the request was a sequel to doctors’ advice on the need for him to take adequate rest after recuperating and promised to return soon after recuperation.