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Ondo Gets Acting Chief Judge

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Justice Ayedun Olusegun Odusola

By Ayodele Oni

An acting Chief Judge of Ondo state, Justice Ayedun Olusegun Odusola was Monday sworn in by the acting Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

The Acting Governor, while inaugurating the Acting chief Judge said government will continue to support the judiciary in the administration of fair and equitable Justice for all and sundry.

He congratulated Justice Odusola stressing that the executive would remain in its resolve not to interfere in the duties of the acting Chief Judge.

Mr Aiyedatiwa charged Justice Odusola to work on policies that would facilitate quick dispensation of justice to help decongest  correctional facility in the state.

He gave an assurance that the state government would continue to collaborate with the judiciary for quick dispensation of justice.

Responding, the Acting Chief Judge, Justice Odusola sought the cooperation of other arms of government in steering the ship of the state judiciary.

Justice Odusola reiterated that he would forge ahead to consolidate on the strides attained so far in the state judiciary.

Ondo State Govt To Jegede: Take A Walk Round State Before Criticizing

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Akeredolu and Jegede

By Ayodele Oni

Ondo State Government has taken up Governorship candidate of People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) during 2020 election, Eyitayo Jegede over his comment that the present administration is ineffective.

The Government statement, signed by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Richard Olatunde described remarks by the opposition leader as Spurious and puerile.

The statement reads “The spurious efforts of the opposition PDP leader, Mr Eyitayo Jegede to demean the achievements and strides recorded by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu-led administration have clearly exposed his hypocrisy under the guise of politics.

“His puerile submission that Ondo State is worst under Governor Akeredolu’s government can only come from a place of bitterness and self- imposed ignorance.

“For the records, the Akeredolu administration has completed 274.11km of roads across the 18 Local Government Areas of the State while 120km are ongoing across the three senatorial districts.

“Mr Jegede’s allusion to Akure as the basis for his assessment of the Akeredolu’s administration exposed his hypocrisy and gross ignorance.

“Before the Akeredolu administration came on board, residents of Ijoka and Oda road in Akure groaned in pains. The traffic gridlock in those areas were usually on daily basis.

“People were being killed by heavy duty vehicles at Oke-Alabojuto in Ikare. Lives were lost to repeated accidents at the cross junction in Ore.

“In Akure alone, no government can boast to have done more than the Akeredolu’s administration. Aside the dualization of the Oba-Osupa/ NEPA road to Olukayode-roundabout, down to ijoka, Governor Akeredolu has intervened in many areas.

“Mr Eyitayo Jegede should visit Gaga, Oke-Ogba, Abusoro, Iwalewa, Orita-Obele, Oda road, SUBEB road, Araromi, Alagbaka-SIB road, and other major roads already constructed by Governor Akeredolu in Akure, the state capital.

“This is aside the first of its kind flyover in Ore, the unprecedented Ikare road dualization, the Okitipupa-Igbokoda bypass road among other roads scattered across the state.

“The pernicious impression created by Mr Jegede on the efforts of Governor Akeredolu in the state health sector, is quite laughable. The Akeredolu administration is known for its efforts at providing first-class health facilities for the people of the state.

‘The ongoing construction of a modern world-class 250-bed University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital complexes in Akure and Ondo town respectively, is a pointer to the giant leaps taken by the Akeredolu administration.

“This is aside the regular provision of medical equipment at the teaching hospital and Mother and Child hospitals.

“Since the inception of his administration till date, Governor Akeredolu has recruited over 425 health workers including Consultants, Nursing officers, Staff Nurses/Midwives, Medial doctors, Pharmacists, Radiographers among others.

“The State Primary Healthcare Development Agency has equally recruited 804 health personnel. The UNIMEDTH wasn’t left out. Over 400 medical personnel have so far been recruited. At the Mother and Child hospital in Akure, there are 434 health workers presently working at the facility.

“Under the Akeredolu administration, industrialization which had gone into extinction since the days of late Pa Adekunle Ajasin came back alive.

“Today, with the efforts of the Governor, the Ondo- Linyi industrial hub, commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari, is one massive investment in the country. The laudable infrastructural development of the Akeredolu administration has attracted more industries into the state.

“Finally, we can only sympathize with Mr Jegede whose political journey is currently greeted with confusion. The current disunity and confusion in the PDP must have created a measure of desperation in his mind.

‘We urge the PDP leader to find time to stay at home and drive round to see the works of the AKEREDOLU’S administration if he failed to acknowledge the government that constructed the road to his house.”

Rivers: Group Tackles Wike, Asks Him To Account For State Funds, Assets Given Away By Him

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Nyesom Wike

By Adesina Soyooye

Worried by the millions of Naira the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike gives out to other State Governments, Rivers State Democracy Sustainable Group, REDSG has tackled the Governor.

Governor Wike is known for giving out hundreds of millions of Naira, to State Governments, especially those which Governors are his friends, and especially, in the months running to the Presidential Primary of the Peoples Democratic Party. An aspirant to the ticket, Wike lost it to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

At the last count, according to another group, Wike had, allegedly given out over two billion Naira of Rivers State money. One of the most recent was the N300m the Governor gave out to wives of Lagos State Government officials who invited him to their annual meet. On that occasion, he endorsed the APC Governor of the State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for a second term in office.

He also had helped a number of States in distress, and recently, gave out 50 buses -25 each – to the State Chapters of the PDP in Benue and Cross River States.

On Sunday night, Benue State Governor revealed that  Wike had given his State the sum of about one billion Naira.

But in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, signed by its Convener, Justin Chibuike, RSDSG, challenged Wike to tell the public if the hundreds of millions he gives out were captured in the State Budget  passed by the State House of Assembly. The Group, also, accused Wike of giving out State assets to his allies and cronies from other States.

The statement alleged that between “2015 till date the State has received trillions of Naira from internally Generated Revenue, Federal allocations, Local and Foreign interventions and sales of Rivers State Government properties including the gas turbine Rotimi Amaechi acquired from Holland and Saipem.”

It challenged the Governor to speak up, and hand back Rivers assets to the State or they would make documents public.

“If the Governor does not speak to Rivers people and hand over their properties back to the state, all these documents will be revealed including sales agreements of these properties both locally and internationally.”

The RSDSG, obviously, a group sympathetic to the PDP, and angry at Wike’s role in what it sees as the destabilisation of the PDP lamented what it described as  “the ridiculous excesses of the Governor in recent times against the party that has given him everything except being the presidential candidate of the party.”

Part of the statement reads:

“The party ( PDP) in its wisdom settled for the former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar for their best interest but the Governor has gone rogue against the Party and the Presidential candidate.

“We have realised that the courage to fight an unknown battle has been fully funded by the purse of Rivers State. The Governor in his bid to service the loyalty of the characters masquerading as fighters for justice in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resorted to throwing Rivers resources into the bellies of the fishes acting as militants in the PDP.

“Furthermore, the Governor of the State should explain to Rivers people if the monies that he doles out frequently to forces outside Rivers State are duly captured and approved by the Rivers State House of Assembly in the yearly budgets of the state.

“This is of importance because Rivers people have seen how the Governor went to Lagos State to endorse the APC Governor of the State against his Party’s  candidate and in so doing donated the sum of N300m to the National women conference organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials(COWLSO) at the Eko Hotels and Suites.

“Also, we’ve seen, in disgust, how he attended the birthday party of his ally in Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu and donated the sum of N200m for no just cause.

“We’ve also seen recently the donation of 25 buses each to both Cross River and Benue states PDP.

“Rivers people are tired and can’t continue in this charade of the Governor in his utter wastage that has continually underdeveloped the State where there is serious unemployment and no human capital development or empowerment to enable the youths create meaningful opportunities for themselves to grow the declining State GDP and of course the rising inflation in our dear State.

“We’ve also seen how about seven international trips of these Governors of his are sponsored by the Governor at the expense of our State’s purse to hold secret meetings with political candidates in luxurious hotels for weeks in Europe that adds zero economic benefit to the State.

“It is quite unfortunate that a man who seeks accountability in his Party is involved in actions that negates the core values of a just course. The Governor swore an oath to be accountable to Rivers people and we are, by this notice, asking him to give accounts of his ridiculous spendings of State resources.

“We have uncovered properties owned by the state especially the Civil Service Quarters that is given to his friends and allies who are not Rivers people all to entice their support for his failed Presidential bid. We ask, what have the Civil Servants done to Wike that for seven and half years they’ve not experienced promotion of any sort and that the State Secretariate is kept in an unhabitable condition.

“The Governor in one of his many giveaways went to his kinsmen in Ogbumnuabali and doled out a mouth watery sum of N2b for doing nothing; absolutely nothing. Such a fund would have been directed to fixing the unhabitable condition of our State Secretariate because the Civil Servants in the State have seen nothing but neglect in Wike’s seven reckless years of mismanagement of state funds.”

“As a group  we are asking the State Governor who is demanding for justice in the party to first serve justice to Rivers people because charity begins at home. He must explain to us for posterity sake. Good men can no longer remain silent in times like this.

“Rivers people and Nigerians daily have seen that the self centred gimmicks of Wike are only to grant easy access to a Bola Tinubu Presidency. In his attempt to demean Atiku Abubakar, Atiku has continued to enjoy public support based on the unjustifiable excesses of Nyesom Wike.

“Public opinions in the various States of those following the Rivers Governor and beyond shows that Atiku Abubakar is leading every other candidate as General elections gets closer. His wide acceptance has been censored and his presidency is now a reality.

“We, therefore, urge the Governor, Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike to immediately account for all Rivers State assets he has appropriated to himself and his cronies. If he dares not, we will one by one release the places and locations of properties he has forcefully annexed to himself and co-conspirators. Also, we will release documents of monies he has hidden through proxies for himself.

“The Governor must declare those properties to Rivers people for the purpose of transparency and accountability, else he runs the risk of facing a national disgrace.”

There has been no reaction from the State Government.

Too Many Litigations Affecting Planning For 2023 General Elections – INEC Chairman

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By Ayodele Oni

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said some court decisions have put the Commission in dilemma, not knowing what to do.

Chairman of the commission, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, explained that there were situations when lower courts would want to overrule the apex Supreme Court.

Speaking on Monday in Abuja, at a capacity workshop for Justices, Prof Yakubu pointed out  that “a situation where a trial Court sought to vary the judgement of the Supreme Court by ordering the Commission to issue a Certificate of Return in favour of a candidate, whose emergence during the party’s primary election has been nullified by the apex Court (and affirmed by the same Court following an application for clarification) put the Commission in a difficult situation.”

He disclosed that the commission has been joined in 600 pre-election cases relating to the nomination of candidates for the 2023 general election by political parties.

While decrying the time lost to the endless litigations, the chairman said that a particular political party, served it 70 Court processes in one day, seeking to compel it to accept the substitution of candidates after the deadline provided in the 2023 election timetable.

He observed that more need to be done to reduce litigations in the electoral process.

Yakubu noted that even though there are less Court cases challenging the conduct of elections by the Commission, cases arising from the conduct of primaries for the nomination of candidates by political parties is on the increase.

“So far, we have been joined in about 600 cases relating to the conduct of recent primaries and nomination of candidates by political parties for the 2023 General Election.

“Only two weeks ago, one political party served about 70 Court processes on the Commission in one day seeking to compel us to accept the nomination or substitution of its candidates long after the deadline provided in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election had elapsed. Some of the cases will go up to the Supreme Court.

“The implication is that we are still dealing with issues of nomination of candidates thereby eating into vital time for preparation of and procurement of sensitive materials for the election. It also means that the Courts will be dealing with the same issues long after the General Election.

“I wish to reassure the judiciary that the Commission will continue to abide by Court orders. However, strict adherence to stare decision is critical for us as an Election Management Body.

“A situation where a trial Court sought to vary the judgement of the Supreme Court by ordering the Commission to issue a Certificate of Return in favour of a candidate whose emergence during the party’s primary election has been nullified by the apex Court (and affirmed by the same Court following an application for clarification) put the Commission in a difficult situation.

“The matter is currently being litigated again, possibly all the way back to the Supreme Court, thereby wasting the precious time of the Courts which are already inundated by even the most improbable cases by litigation-happy individuals and parties.”

No Judicial Recklessness, CJN Warns Election Petition Tribunal Members

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By Ayodele Oni

The judiciary and other stakeholders in 2023 general elections are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the success.

The Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, on Monday, swore in members of the Election Petition Tribunal that will hear disputes arising from the general elections.

The event took place at the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja, the country’s political capital.

Administering the oath of office on the members of the Tribunal, the CJN urged the judicial officers not to treat their assignments with levity, warning that he will not tolerate any form of judicial recklessness.

The exercise kicked off a four-day capacity workshop for the Justices and members of the Tribunal which will end on Thursday.

In other to forestall conflicting rulings by the Tribunals, the Appeal Court compiled a case management system, which is a document that will serve as an additional guide.

Also in attendance at the event were the President of the Appeal Court, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu; as well as Justices of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Dongban-Mensem admonished members of the Tribunal to be firm and law-abiding in the discharge of their duties, nothing that by the nature of their assignments, they will be exposed to temptations, but they must be in total control of their thoughts.

Any Atiku Supporter Is An Enemy – Governor Ortom

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Any Atiku Supporter Is An Enemy – Governor Ortom

By Adesina Soyooye

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has declared anybody who supports the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, as his enemy.

Both Atiku and Ortom are of the same Party. But Ortom is one of the five PDP Governors headed by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, at loggerheads with the Party leadership and Atiku.

Ortom, obviously, following in the footsteps of his leader, Wike, made the shocking statement in Makurdi on Sunday during a banquet he hosted in honour of the “rebel” PDP Governors. They had gone to Benue for the flag-off of the Party’s campaign against 2023. Ortom, in the last leg of his term as Governor, is contesting in 2023 for a Senatorial seat. A couple of weeks ago, Wike donated 25 busses to the Benue PDP to prosecute its campaign.

Speaking at the banquet in the honour of the visiting Governors, Ortom said he will not support Atiku against 2023, and dubbed any Atiku supporter his enemy.

Explaining why he would never abandon Wike, Ortom described him as a worthy friend who always stood by him and the State in times of crisis occasioned by the incessant invasion of Benue  by rogue Fulani heardsmen.

Ortom: “When Benue was under siege, he donated N250 million, and he subsequently spent over N700 million to support the State to tackle the humanitarian crisis occasioned by the unwarranted attacks.

“He didn’t stop at that. He convinced Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom to, also, assist the State, and he (Udom) donated N200 million to us.

“Is he not a worthy friend? He’s a worthy friend and we are working together to liberate the Country.

“I’m not going to support any Fulani man to continue to do injustice to my people unless my people tell me to do otherwise.”

In Rivers State, Governor Wike has since declared all Atiku supporters his enemies and enemies of the State, and is dealing with them accordingly.

The Governors who Ortom hosted are: Wike, Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia, Seyi Makinde,  Oyo, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu.

Both Wike and Makinde had earlier said they will not vote Atiku unless the National Chairman of the Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, steps down from office for a Southerner.

Prudential Africa Tops MDRT

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 Prudential Africa has announced that 222 of its sales representatives across seven of its markets in Africa have qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table, MDRT, in the first half of 2022. This is in comparison to 39 qualifiers from the same period last year, up 469 percent. This makes Prudential the company with the highest number of MDRT members in Africa, with the largest number of qualifiers coming from Nigeria.

Million Dollar Round Table, MDRT, is the global Premier Association of Financial Professionals. MDRT members lead the global financial services profession in professional knowledge, ethical conduct, and client service. Members are recognized as setting the international standard of excellence in the financial services field, meeting unique client needs in the evolving landscape of modern personal finance while adhering to a strict code of ethics.

These results reflect the strong performance of Prudential in Africa, with Annual Premium Equivalent, APE, sales growing by 17 percent year-on-year as announced by the Group in its 2022 half-year financial results. Six of its eight markets recorded double-digit growth in APE sales.

Nick Holder, Chief Operating Officer, Prudential Africa, said that: “Prudential Africa continues to focus on investing in its distribution channels to support the health and protection needs of its customers. We continue to equip our agency force and financial service consultants with digital capabilities to connect and engage with customers as well as provide personalised advice. Our multi-channel and integrated distribution strategy is able to adapt to evolving customer needs and local market conditions, and positions us well to capture growth opportunities”.

Prudential Zenith Life Insurance Ltd, PZL, is a subsidiary of Prudential Plc., established in 2017 when Prudential Plc acquired a 51 percent holding in Zenith Life Insurance. PZL is one of the most capitalized companies in the Nigerian insurance industry with a wide range of individual products including savings & investments-linked products, endowment, and protection products designed to meet the needs of individuals and their families.  For corporate clients, the company’s product offerings include Group Life, Key-Man Assurance, Credit Life, School Fees Protection, and Mortgage Protection, ensuring that the welfare of clients’ staff and families are met.

Prudential Plc provides life and health insurance, and asset management in Africa and Asia, helping people get the most out of life by making healthcare affordable and accessible and by promoting financial inclusion. Prudential protects people’s wealth, helps them grow their assets, and empowers them to save for their goals. It has more than 19 million life customers and is listed on stock exchanges in London (PRU), Hong Kong (2378), Singapore (K6S), and New York (PUK).

Prudential Plc has insurance operations in eight countries in Africa: Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Togo Uganda, and Zambia.  With over 1 million customers, Prudential Africa works with over 11,000 agents and six exclusive bank partnerships, with access to over 600 branches to bring value-added insurance solutions to its customers.

2023: Abuja Pastors Back Tinubu After Northern Christians Reject APC Candidate

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Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress, APC, the presidential candidate has the backing of pastors in Abuja, the nation’s capital to contest next year’s presidential election.

Tinubu, a former Lagos state governor and APC National Leader has received a backlash from not a few Nigerians, particularly Christians who criticized him for choosing a fellow Muslim, former Governor Kassim Shetima of Borno state as his running mate.

A load of criticism on the APC presidential candidate has come from the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN which accused Tinubu of trying to polarize the country along religious lines by picking Shetima to run with him in 2023.

Just last week, a coalition of Christian groups in Northern Nigeria, said they will punish the ruling party for trying to marginalize Christians in the country.

The former Lagos governor has defended his action on the basis that he needs to win the election, and that Shetima is the only politician that can help him actualize his ambition to succeed the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari as commander-in-chief.

The decision by Abuja pastors to back Tinubu, some said, is a boost for his candidacy amidst pressure to drop Shitima.

According to a statement jointly signed on Sunday by Apostle Babatunde Oguntimehin, and Revd. Friday Obi, national president, and secretary, respectively the Abuja cleric said they threw their weight behind the Tinubu/ Shetima ticket because they believe in their capacity to rule the country.

The pastors under the aegis of the Nigerian Coalition for Pastors said it would be wrong to condemn the APC Muslim/Muslim, what is key they said is the ability to provide good leadership.

They advised Nigerians to jettison ethnicity, and religion when electing a new president next year, saying Tinubu will “ leave Nigeria a better country.”

The clerics said in the statement: “After consideration of so many critical factors and wide consultation, we have decided to settle for the candidacy of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima.

“Asiwaju has shown us that he has the capacity to do the job, especially with what he has done as governor in Lagos. We are hopeful he has the experience to leave Nigeria a better country for our children.

“We have since noted that making religion or faith the top factor in choosing a candidate for the nation has never helped and will never help this nation. We cannot, therefore, sacrifice quality leadership on the altar of religion or tribe.”

CBN Pegs Cash Deposit At N50m Per Month

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Godwin Emefiele

In the aftermath of the recent decision of the Central bank of Nigeria, CBN, to redesign the naira the apex bank has pegged the maximum naira deposit at N50 million per month. According to a new directive by the CBN, commercial banks in the country are not to accept more than N5 million for new account holders, and N50 million for old account holders per month.

The apex bank’s took the decision to redesign the national currency last week with the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari. Under the new regime, the Godwin Emefiele-led CBN said, N200, N500, and N1000 banknotes will be redesigned.

Emefiele cited criminality, the need to control inflation, reduction of the total cash in circulation as part of its reasons to do away with the old bank notes.

He said, “Indeed, the integrity of a local legal tender, the efficiency of its supply, and its efficacy in the conduct of monetary policy are some of the hallmarks of a great central bank.

“In recent times, however, currency management has faced several daunting challenges that have continued to grow in scale and sophistication with attendant and unintended consequences for the integrity of both the CBN and the country.

“More specifically, as at the end of September 2022, available data at the CBN indicate that N2.73tn out of the N3.23tn currency in circulation was outside the vaults of commercial banks across the country, and supposedly held by members of the public.

“Evidently, currency in circulation has more than doubled since 2015, rising from N1.46tn in December 2015 to N3.23tn as at September 2022. I must say that this is a very worrisome trend that cannot continue to be allowed.

“Also, in view of the prevailing level of the security situation in the country, the CBN is convinced that the incident of terrorism and kidnapping will be minimized as access to large volumes of money outside the banking used as the source of funds for ransom payment will begin to dry up.

But financial experts also insist that the CBN may have decided to redesign the old notes as a way of punishing those involved in massive hoarding of the currency, as well as to mop up counterfeit naira notes from circulation.

For instance, since the CBN announced the move last week cash deposit has spiked in all the commercial banks in the country.  Pointedly, a huge chunk of the cash being deposited is old, dirty banknotes that have been minted as far back as 2007.

Some commercial banks have also extended their working days to Saturdays in order to be able to attend to huge cash depositors.

In spite of this, a bank worker in Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria said “we are still struggling to meet up with the number of depositors”.

The CBN Director of Currency, Ahmed B. Umar who issued the directive said that individuals will not be allowed to deposit more than N5 million if the transaction involves a new account in one month, and if the transaction involves an old account, then only a maximum of N50 million will be allowed.

Umar warned that the Bank Verification Number, BVN, will be used to fish out depositors who may want to use multiple accounts to deposit huge cash.

Meanwhile, close watchers monitoring what is happening said innocent Nigerians may be caught up in the attempt by CBN to punish counterfeiters and criminals.

PDP, APC Chieftains Trade Words On Akeredolu’s Achievements

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Akeredolu and Jegede

By Ayodele Oni

Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party,(PDP) in Ondo State, in the 2020 election, Eyitayo Jegede said the State would thrive better, if other candidate, aside All Progressive Congress, APC) flag bearer, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, had won the last election

Jegede was of the view that Ondo state is getting worse under the administration of Governor Akeredolu in the last six years.

Speaking during a radio programme in Akure, the PDP candidate pointed out that residents of the State could no longer enjoy those amenities they experienced before the emergence of Akeredolu as the governor of ondo state.

Jegede, in the result of the election, announced by Independent National Electoral Commission,  (INEC) came second and could not secure victory at the tribunal up to Supreme court.

He had contested against Akeredolu in 2016 and 2020 governorship elections and lost in the two elections.

Asked to assess the APC controlled administration in the state, the PDP chieftain said, “Every resident in Ondo state understands because we are all living in this state.

“Are we satisfied with the current situation under the (current administration) ? Do we have the kind of roads that Akure deserves? I am not saying everyone is not trying, but is it enough ?

If others are allowed to do it,( rule the state) won’t they do better ?

“Look at everything we did when labour party (LP) and PDP were in power, look at the shuttle buses for students, look at the schools then, and free medical services that people enjoyed in government hospitals. Are they still existing now?

“Look at the very little fees being paid by students of state owned tertiary institution, it is now outrageous.

“The people have experienced the two governments and can say that they are not satisfied with the current situation. Private driven jobs that Akeredolu promised, has he provided them ?

“The hospitals we have in Akure and Ondo, are they running very well. Go and look at it. I leave it for now.

“On the road construction that everyone is talking about, when labour Party was in government, ( Jegede served as Attorney General) Arakale road was turned to double carriage way, we rehabilitated Oba Adesida road.

“When PDP was in power, street lights were installed everywhere. Now compared the two governments in that aspect.

“See, to construct roads is not difficult at all. The local government also rehabilitates, even individual construct roads. So all these roads they claim they construct is the normal thing a responsible government should do.

“How are they spending public funds? It is out of place celebrating government for doing normal thing it should do.”

Reacting, a member of the  APC in Ondo state, who also featured on the radio programme, Prince Dapo Adepoju said, “ it will be wrong to say that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu does not try to develop the state capital.

“Go to the general hospital in Akure, what he is doing at the hospital at the moment is world class. It is now teaching hospital of international standard.

“Before now, we all knew how Oda road was before. Go to Abusoro, go to Gaga,  you will see that they were not motorable until governor Akeredolu came on board and rehabilitated them.

“But when the time of election came, natives of Akure voted massively for their son, ( Jegede)

“And when we asked them why didn’t they vote for Akeredolu despite his achievements in Akure, they would say that they preferred their son than others from outside. Yet, some of us from Akure still supported Akeredolu.”