Charges and Challenges before Aiyedatiwa and the Sunshine State

By Dr Olu Agunloye

On this day, 24th of February 2025, the Inauguration Day of His Excellency, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa as the 7th Governor of Ondo State, we remember the erstwhile Governor, Barrister Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, CON., SAN, the one fondly called Aketi. It was he who said: “Ondo State people are indomitable people. Nobody can dominate us. Our limitations have been imposed by the perverse federalism that we are running.” That statement was made as a sitting Governor when he was putting into place the establishment of the Amotekun special security outfit. He was indeed a bold, courageous and outspoken man. We are told that his father, Rev J. O. Akeredolu, was also an outspoken and courageous man. As a matter of fact, there are, indeed, a lot of courageous and outspoken men and women in our dear Ondo State, the Sunshine State.

We remember that our state had also been ruled by other courageous men, namely, Chief Adekunle Ajasin, former school teacher; Chief Adebayo Adefarati, another former school teacher; Dr. Olusegun Agagu, a former university teacher and a Petroleum Geologist and by Dr. Segun Mimiko, a medical doctor. Targeting Aketi on the day we celebrate Ondo State’s inauguration of a new Government is applicable. It is about using him symbolically as a point of contact to bring the memories and performances of previous former Ondo State Governors to the attention of the new governor, Dr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the new drivers of Ondo State. It is to urge them to eschew aggrandisement of public offices, perquisites of office, temptations of personal enrichment and tendencies for injustice which cause hydra-headed corruption. Instead, they should focus on and embrace the critical issues of actualising real sustainable development for our dear state to open the doors for wealth creation, job creation, youth empowerment, women emancipation and economic growth. This is because Ondo State needs to take its proper position as a model state not only in the subregion but in the federation.

We note, rather sadly, that Ondo is a rich state and yet a poor state. The economic indices and numbers do not add up, so to say. More so, the welfare, state of wellbeing, state of hippieness, state of food security or physical security of the people are not good, and no economic indices or statistics can be used to cover these up. Take for instance, Ondo State economy is the sixth largest in Nigeria; the State’s income from crude oil from 14 oil fields in the State contributes 12% of the country’s crude oil production and reserves, with about 3.5 billion barrels of crude oil reserves; the State produces over 75,000 tons of cocoa annually, has 156 million metric tons of bitumen reserve, has vast asphalt production, and extensive coastline activities as well as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of over N40 billion per annum, all of which are substantial but these do not lead to improved wellbeing, high employment rates or better health care for the ordinary people of Ondo State. The State’s annual Budget ranks 10th highest in Nigeria, but the State is still characterised with low unemployment rate, (17.1%), high poverty rate (12.5%, second highest in the SW, after Ekiti’s 28%) and concomitantly high crime rate (2.8%, second highest in the SW, after Lagos’ 37.9%, the highest in Nigeria).

Certainly, Governor Aiyedatiwa must take all the advantages to unlock the vast socio-economic potentials in the State and its people. The State needs a breakthrough in turning its human talents into creative industry, its mineral resources into wealth, tourist attractions into economic development and turning the coastline into a deep-sea port and for the State to become a maritime hub in West Africa facilitating sea trade, and harnessing blue economy including fishing industries, boatbuilding industry and tourism. Governor Aiyedatiwa must harness the high traffic volumes which pass the gateway state to feed Ekiti, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Ogun, Osun and Lagos States and those which lead to the Eastern and Northern parts of Nigeria to yield revenue and create wealth. It is time to create Agricultural Farm Settlement Centres to harvest economy with cocoa, cotton, tobacco, rubber, timber, palm oil and kernels and other cash crops to create jobs and grow wealth. The State needs to create a direct coastal route to Lagos, the economic hub of Nigeria and of West Africa by building a modern highway to connect Lagos to Igbokoda or Agbabu or other to tap into the national blue economy, enhance connectivity advantages and benefits as well as boost tourism. The Aiyedatiwa Government should create industrial and technology zones, digital villages across the State, and leverage on Olokola Free Trade Zone to create large scale trade and provide energy sufficiency. Above all, it is time to build the Southern corner of Ondo State into the incubation centre of the State to boost statewide productivity and sustainable development and economic growth of the entire State.

Dr Olu Agunloye, Erusu-Akoko. Ondo State. former Minister of Defence, former Minister of Power and Steel,
National Secretary, Social Democratic Party (SDP)