The result of the October 10 2020 gubernatorial election in Ondo State saw to the re-election of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN and his running mate, Hon. Lucky Ayedatiwa of the All Progressive Congress (APC) against the Dr. Eyitayo Jegede SAN of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
And for the second term, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN will be leading the good people of Ondo State on another four years journey even as he seems to consolidate on his previous laudable achievements, one which he has dedicated himself to over the last four years.
Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN seeking to write the history books of the Sunshine State has once again placed himself and the state on a path of progress and development; his commitment to continuity in governance coupled with his unmatched administrative skills which he has used to harness both the human and natural resources of the state deserves to be praised.
In what started as a journey of redemption, birthed from pure hope, blessed with an intentional effort to seeing to a change in narrative of the Sunshine State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN was able to within the space of just 4 years ensured that the state is not only given a new look but also given a new lease of life as it rise to prominence in the South West region and Nation at large.
Within the four years of the first tenure of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, he clearly showed his wit, brilliance and grit; validating the choice of the people who gave him their mandate to led them, bold, fearless and courageous, Arakunrin Akeredolu never looked back in facing the harsh Socio-political realities of both our national and local setting as he ensured that he used all the resources at his disposal to start the re-creation of a better Ondo State.
With his mantra,” Think Anew” he pushed forth for the introduction of new refiners values, work ethics by setting himself an exemplary leader, and in the process of doing this, he was referred to by the people as, “ the Talk and Do” Governor. His word was his bond and he showed to everyone what a true son of the soil he is, the one the Yoruba will call “Omoluabi” a child that’s well nurtured and brought up.
For a State like Ondo State, one that was conventionally noted to be a civil servant state and the major group responsible for the economic stability of the economy is the “ Civil Servants”, Arakunrin Akeredolu took the bull by the horn as he embarked on a rigorous industrial cum infrastructural revolution; one which in the long run will eventually gave the state a new, better and improved facelift.
Ondo State saw the birth of new industrial facilities which were complimented with good road networks to encourage the transportation of raw materials to these industries.
The accountability of the Governor in using the state funds was second to none, it’s not a surprise when the state moved highest in the year 2019 as the highest performer on the Internally Generated Revenue list according to the list released by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics.
Under his watch, the under listed projects in the state has given the state a new outlook of which has made the Sunshine state a place of pride among its contemporaries.
INFRASTRUCTURE:
▪️Construction of over 400km of roads
Some of the roads include; The dualization of the once bloodsucking Oke-alabojuto road, Dualization of Emure-Owo road, Dualization of Ikare Township Road, Dualization of Emure-Owo road, Dualization of Oba Osupa Road in Akure, Dualization of Owo Township road, Construction of Iyere-Ipele Road, Dualization of Nepa-Hospital Road, Dualization of CBN – Bishop Court, Akure, Dualization of Oda Road in Akure, Construction of OAUSTECH Internal access road in Okitipupa, Construction of Sabomi Township Road, Construction of 12km Okitipupa – Igbokoda bypass Road, Construction of 16km Idanre – Ijoka virgin Road, Construction of Iwalewa – Hospital Road, Construction Of Abusoro-Ijoka Road, Alagbaka SIB/Appeal Court Road in Akure, Construction of Gaga Community Road, Construction of Oke-Ogba Community Road, Reconstruction of Ijapo Road, Construction of Club 20 Road, Reconstruction of Iwaro-Oka Road, Reconstruction of Jubilee – Ugbe-Akoko Road, Asphalt overlay of Okitipupa township road, construction of Igbara-Oke/Ibuji/Ekiti boundary Road and many others
▪️Construction of Ore Flyover Bridge
▪️Construction of a new office complex for Ondo State Internal Revenue Service.
▪️Completed and Commissioned the Civil Engineering Building at Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.
HEALTHCARE:
▪️Recruitment of over 500 health personnel and 200 medical doctors.
▪️Increased the Mother and Child Hospital from 2 to 7. Mother and Child hospital used to be in only Akure and Ondo Town before. Now, there is mother and Child hospital in Ikare-Akoko, Owo, Ore, Okitipupa and Igbokoda.
▪️Construction of a new Critical Care Unit at UNIMED, Akure.
▪️Upgraded Akure Specialist Hospital to UNIMED teaching Hospital.
▪️Distribution of about N2.1billion worth of medical equipment to health facilities across Ondo State.
▪️Rehabilitation of dilapidated health centres across the state.
▪️Construction of UNIMED teaching Hospital in Ondo Town.
▪️Ongoing Construction of 500-beddings Hospital complex at UNIMED, Ondo and Akure.
EDUCATION:
▪️Construction and rehabilitation of over 700 Public Primary schools
▪️Supplying 10,672 pieces of furniture, ICT Facilities, solar systems, playground equipment to the schools
▪️Promotion of teachers as and when due.
▪️Governor Akeredolu breath life into Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa after it was abandoned by Mimiko for 8years. He reconstructed the main gate, completed the construction the University Library, the Auditorium and the Administrative Building Complex. He also constructed the internal roads of the University.
INDUSTRIALIZATION:
▪️Ondo-Linyi Industrial Hub in Ore. An industrial hub which houses about 6 industrial factories which include; Cassava-Ethanol Factory, Win-Win Textile Mill, Truck Assembly Plant, Wewood Factory, MDF/HDF Factory and a Paper Mill Factory.
▪️Governor Akeredolu commissioned a Granite and Marble factory in Ose LGA.
▪️Governor Akeredolu also commissioned the Sunshine Chocolate Factory in Idanre.
WORKERS WELFARE
▪️Payment of 6months out of the 7months salary arrears and pension inherited from the immediate past administration.
▪️Payment of over N4billion for the payment of gratuity inherited from the previous administration in the state.
▪️Payment of new Minimum wage and payment of 33.4% pension increase.
▪️Promotion of workers as and when due.
JOB CREATION
▪️Employment of Over 400 fresh graduates into the state board of internal revenue service.
▪️Recruitment of over 500 health personnel and 200 medical doctors.
▪️Employment of 50 workers into Ondo State Radiovision cooperation (OSRC)
▪️Employment of 35 special persons into the state civil service
▪️Over 2000 people have been employed through Ondo-Linyi Industrial Hub and other industries.
▪️Ongoing recruitment of 1000 teachers and 432 health workers to fill the personnel gaps in primary health care facilities across the state.
WATER SUPPLY:
▪️Digging and resuscitation of over 2000 boreholes in our rural and urban areas through the “Kamomi Aketi Water Scheme”.
AGRICULTURE:
▪️Distribution of over 800,000 cocoa seedlings to farmers in Ondo State to boost cocoa production.
▪️Procured 20 brand new tractors for farmers in the state.
▪️Reactivation of the afforestation projects in Ondo State. 10,000 Hectares of the state afforestation projects sited at Omotoso in Okitipupa local government. The projects is worth N20billion and it has employed over 1,000 youths of Ondo state. This is a Public Private Partnership with Weewood, a Chinese company.
▪️Under Akeredolu, Over N210,000,000 have been disbursed to farmers co-operative societies in the state, under the FADAMA Scheme.
▪️Over 1,000 metrics ton of fertilizers have been distributed to farmers in Ondo state for enhanced farming.
▪️Distribution of of over 100,000 brazilian cashew seedlings and top quality oil palm seedlings to farmers across the state.
▪️Empowerment and training of about 6,000 youths to become Agripreneurs.
OTHERS
▪️Governor Akeredolu has given out about N550million as soft loans to Artisans, market women, groups and the vulnerable through the State Micro-Credit Agency.
▪️Today, from a horrible inherited less than N800 million monthly chart, Ondo State has recorded sustained growth in its IGR since 2017. As of January 2020, the total IGR of the state was not less than N2 billion.
▪️Governor Akeredolu commissioned a new mass transit, Sunshine travels after the defunct Owena transit which was mismanaged by past administration.
While Arakunrin Akeredolu has steadfastly committed himself to fronting the charge to make Ondo State better, the First Lady of the State has also complimented her efforts in bringing about a better reality to the State.
Arabinrin Betty Akeredolu has through her numerous life impacting and changing projects and initiatives ensured that a positive narrative is written regarding the women and the girl child in the state. Her commitment to making women more valuable and productive in the society and family has endeared many women and children to her.
Popularly know and called Mama Fowoso, Mama Digital, she has used her strength and her resources to ensuring through advocacy and empowerment schemes to empower women in the State.
Her activities with BRECAN and collaborations with other sister organizations have earned her plaudits both local and international coupled with the fact that there is so so much awareness about breast cancer today in the country through the instrumentality of BRECAN. So many women have also been saved from the wasting disease through her efforts while some are currently receiving help through the organization.
Long before feminism began to gain traction in the country, Mrs. Akeredolu had always been passionate about the girl child, preaching gender equality and inclusiveness wherever she goes.
Little wonder she only had to activate the feminist activist part of her entire fabric when she became the First Lady of Ondo State in 2016 with the establishment of BEMORE.
Besides BEMORE, the First Lady has been advocating for more women holding leadership positions at the highest level of governance. This is precisely the focal reason for the establishment of Foundation for Wives of Ondo State Officials, FOWOSO, which is to mobilize and prepare women for leadership positions in every stratum of government. In fact, through the relentless agitation of Mrs. Betty Akeredolu, by the time Governor Akeredolu will round up his tour of duty, his government may end up becoming the most gender-friendly in the history of Ondo State.
Ondo State has never been this better and it’s all thanks to the wonderful and numerous projects and initiative of the Ondo First Family. As the good people of Ondo State continue to look forward to another four years of the Akeredolu led administration in the State, it’s obvious that they have less to worry about as they firmly believe that their mandate in Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN is a safe and secured one.
He has done it before and he is poised and ever committed to doing it once again.
History will always be kind to men of good heart whose focus in driven by the sheer commitment and dedication to making life better for other. Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN has done what within four years what his contemporaries failed to do within the space of eight years. No doubt Ondo State is witnessing an unprecedented change in its history which must be sustained by the good people of Ondo State. Continuity is an integral part for good governance, keeping Arakunrin Akeredolu beyond 2020 is not just another giant step in their drive for good governance, but an assurance of good governance in the state for the next four years.