2024 Guber: Corruption, Incompetent Leadership Hindering Ondo’s Growth, Says Akinmurele

Fidelis David in Akure

The candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, John Otitoloju Akinmurele, has attributed incompetent leadership, mal-administration, and corruption as major problems hindering the growth of the state.

This is just as he warned the state Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to stop playing politics with people’s lives ahead of the poll.

Akinmurele stated this at the weekend in his hometown, Ilu-Titun, Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state where he was received by a mammoth crowd of supporters, amid cheers and jubilation.

The YPP governorship candidate, who was received by Majuwa of Moribodo kingdom Ilutitun, Oba Ernest Adeoye Idepefo; the Oniju of Iju-Odo, Oba Festus Olumoyegun; the head of his family, Chief Aaron Ojapinwa and the party Chairman, Dotun Ojon, noted that Ondo State is blessed with abundant natural resources, and if properly harnessed, would help tackle poverty and other issues affecting the people.

Precisely, Akinmurele said to move the coastal state forward, the electorate must ensure that incompetent, selfish and arrogant people are not allowed to lead at any level again.

According to him, “Incompetence, mal-administration, corruption and other leadership deficiencies are some of the problems drawing Ondo State backward and YPP has come to right the wrong, so that people can have food on their table.

“YPP has come so that the state will be secured and there can be hope for the hopeless. YPP has come so that there will be infrastructure and creative governance in the state. We’ve come to reinvigorate agriculture in Ondo State, we’ve come to tap the numerous potential of this state and make it to work for the people. We’ve come to lift people above poverty.

One of the strategy to win the election is what we’re doing today. Getting to the grassroots and letting people know that this campaign is theirs. Let the market women and men, artisans and everyone take ownership of their campaign. The greatest office in any country is the office of the citizen, the electorate. And that’s why we’re here, so that people can be informed of what we have to offer and they should take ownership of it.”

He promised to turn around the agriculture sector through the provision of modern farm implements at subsidised rates to the farmers across the state.

“We are going to revolutionise agriculture in this state. We want to ensure that the people have adequate food. We will prioritise security so that the people can sleep with their two eyes closed. This, we will do by deploying technology. We will revitalize our civil service, we want the civil servants to own the governance and take government as their own.

“Education in Ondo State today is an eyesore and the state used to be a pride when it comes to education. So, we will bring back the glory of the education sector. We promise to reduce tuition being paid in our tertiary institutions in the state by bringing it to the barest level. We are going to ensure that there is universal basic education from primary to secondary school, not only free but also compulsory while the tertiary education will be affordable and qualitative.

He boasted the he would have block votes from the southern senatorial district where he hails from, saying: “I am a son of the soil, I’m always here but coming today is just to familiarise more with my people and make a statement for my family because we believe that every politics is local, so we want to harness the gains of the grassroots. We want my family and members of my community to own my campaign. You could see we’ve visited three traditional rulers. You could see the reception and prayers offered. I brought it to them to take ownership of it because charity begins at home.”

Besides, he knocked the state governor over the appointment of 344 people as senior special assistants and special assistants, describing it as ridiculous and an appointment for electoral gain.

Earlier, the state Chairman of YPP, Dotun Ojon, said: “Just about two weeks ago, we assembled all our coordinators from the 203 political wards in Ondo State, and it’s very clear that we want to make a statement that we’re on ground, and by the end of this month, we will assemble all our polling unit agents, that is to further state to the people that we are on ground, and by November 16, the people will actually know that we mean business.”