ONDO POLL: Group slams Gov. Aiyedatiwa for appointing 344 SAs.

ONDO POLL: Group slams Gov. Aiyedatiwa for appointing 344 SAs.

By Fashina Shakiru

The South West Youth Forum, Ondo State, has accused Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of appointed 344 people as his personal assistants, a development that generated criticism. 

In a joint statement made by the Vice Chairman, Ogbeni Ibrahim Balogun, and Public Relations Officer of the group, Dr. Ayodele Aderopo, the new appointments are outrageous, with a lack of development and battling economic hardship in the state.

“The government of the day wakes up and announces the appointment of 344SAs. This confirms the widely reported status of astronomical unemployment in the state and reveals the government’s lack of vision during the last 9 months in failing to provide opportunities to meaningfully engage the state’s army of unemployed people.”

“Despite Ondo State generating 12% of the nation’s oil, nothing shows for it; rather, the governor overbought political aides and wasted taxpayer money when masses have no access to modern infrastructural facilities and social amenities in the oil-producing state and several road projects abandoned across the state or bodily enough awarded the Akure-Ondo Road, Ondo-Ore Road, or Road for Dualization, not talk of Okitipupa-IIgbokoda road.”

“The South West Youth Forum stressed that these wasteful efforts would have channeled into the employment of teachers in rural areas and supported agricultural production to alleviate the impact of high costs of living in the state.”

“Our position to Mr. Governor is that this is not Pa Awolowo’s dream and especially the home of Pa Ajasin, who values education for the South West region. Ondo State has the highest crime rate in the Southwest due to weak governance, unemployment, and insecurities. We want a governor who is full of enthusiasm and has a vision for the state’s development.”

“The appointments so far made by Governor Aiyedatiwa are confirmed to be used for political influence for the off-cycle governorship poll, not to revamp the economy of the state, rehabilitate marginal industries, and alleviate people’s suffering.

The governor spokesperson, Ebenezer Adeniyan, on Saturday announced 344 people as his personal assistants, chosen from the 18 local government areas and 203 political wards of the state.