Rotimi Akeredolu’s Indelible Footprints

SOCIETY WATCH By Adebayo Adeoye

By Providence, respected lawyer and politician, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, is the incumbent governor of Ondo State. Though some reportedly tagged him an incorrigible dreamer in the build-up to the election in 2016, he refused to be bothered about the enormity of the odds against him or even entombed his living dreams.

Everywhere he went to during the campaign, he was armed with his pragmatic manifesto, pleading with his people to give him a chance to serve them. Even when it was obvious that some powerful elements in the state , including the then incumbent governor of the state, Olusegun Mimiko, allegedly posed a threat to his political ambition, he held on to his dream with uncommon steadfastness.

Luckily, he had the last laugh in the end. It will be recalled that he had lost the bid to clinch the number one job in the state in 2012. But the experience only toughened him when he offered himself to serve his people again. Interestingly, Akeredolu has shown evidence of a brilliant mind who knows what to do when fate offers him a rare opportunity in life. Like a gentleman that he is, he has not disappointed his people who dared the scorching sun to cast their votes for him about four years ago. Aketi, as he is popularly called by his admirers, has proved that he is indeed a silent achiever, as he has left his footprints in several sectors of the state.

Society watch gathered that his leadership and administrative acumen is steadily bringing the dividends of democracy to the people in ways that complement and even surpass the work of his predecessors.

In a nation where many of his contemporaries seek public offices primarily for the perks and luxuries that come with it, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria is said to prefer to live within the modest means while using the state’s minimal resources to focus on providing education, building road, providing health care infrastructure and improving rural and urban water supply in the state.

Reliable sources further revealed that he had been able to worm himself into the hearts of Ondo people and they are ready to reward him with a second term in office.