Group Flays Akeredolu’s Planned Meeting on 10-year Blackout in Ondo

By James Sowole in Akure

A pressure group in Ondo South senatorial district of Ondo State, ‘Bring Back Our Light (BBOL)’, yesterday described the planned Town Hall meeting convened by the state government with the people of the district on more than 10 years blackout as a “Greek gift.”

The state Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN),  was scheduled to hold a Town Hall meeting next Tuesday with the people of the senatorial districts over the continued power outage in the area. 

However, the BBOL in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Mr. Olumide Akinrinlola, said the government was not sincere about the move.

He said the government just wanted to deceive the people by pretending to be caring, adding that all were just for political reasons as election is approaching.

While passing a vote of no confidence on the governor, Akinrinlola accused the state government of alleged insincerity and grand deception, with no regard to fulfilling its electoral promises.

According to him, as much as the people of the area appreciated the development, the people should be cautious of the government’s sudden interest in the plight of the people of the area over the black out. 

He charged the people of the four local government areas to avoid being carried away by another fake promise by the state government, saying: “Election is around the corner and let’s open our eyes.” 

Akinrinlola, who called on the people of the area to honour the governor’s invitation by attending the town hall meeting as scheduled, however, said: “We must all be suspicious why our governor who promised to restore electricity to us after three months in office is now coming to meet with us at this time

“We are very close to another election and despite several visits to the government on the same issue by our royal fathers, with several appeals by our peoples, there is no hope from the government.

“As much as we appreciate this new development, we are using this medium to put our people on the alert and to also advise them to put on their thinking cap and not play the gullible in the course of this meeting, most especially now that another election has come.”

The BBOL said rather than the usual rhetoric, Akeredolu should join his counterpart in Edo State, Godwin  Obaseki, by adding voice to the call for the revocation or stoppage of the renewal of BEDC operating license which falls due this month.