In the midst of controversy surrounding Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s decision to leave the State House in Akure and relocate to his private home in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, the governor’s Special Adviser on Special Duty and Strategy, Doyin Odebowale, has revealed that the governor’s decision was motivated by accommodation challenges.
Odebowale went on to say that because of Akeredolu’s health, he needed a nicer apartment to carry out his responsibility of overseeing the activities of the Southwest state.
He claimed that the governor has been working remotely on a daily basis and has not been idle since returning to the country following his medical journey overseas.
The governor’s decision to leave Akure for Ibadan has sparked outrage in the state, with opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youths giving an ultimatum to the governor to return.
Responding to criticism during a televised interview on Tuesday, he stated, “Aketi returned in September. The Presidential Lodge, which was erected for visiting President Olusegun Obasanjo at the time, is now a two-bedroom apartment.
“Now, he is back. He cannot occupy that place again. The Old Governor’s Office – the Governor’s Lodge built by the previous administration is now the office of the investment outlet called the ODIPA. That’s the office.
“So, the governor has been managing a two-bedroom apartment for six years. But his current state of health would not permit him to pretend that all is well. He would need all the things for him to recover properly. That’s why the new place that is being arranged for him is almost completed.”
He questioned why detractors want his principal to return to the state, claiming that governance has been running smoothly despite Akeredolu’s absence.
“When they say they want to see Aketi, do they want to see him at the site so that he would be carrying cement or following workmen? What exactly? The civil servants have been paid all their salaries. Aketi has been signing laws since he came back,” he maintained.
Comments