The Ondo State Government has reacted to an interview granted The Nation Newspaper by a former Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Banji Ayiloge, which was published on September 2, 2019. This is contained in a recent statement signed by Oyewamide Wande Ojo, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor (Media and Publicity), entitled, “Ayiloge Is A Beneficiary Of Our Road Projects”
In the interview, Ayiloge expressed his intent to contest the 2020 governorship election in the state on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The right of Ayiloge to, according to the government, to aspire to the highest political position in the state is undoubtedly, inalienable. That is the beauty of democracy. The government added that this is more so that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN has not, and will not find enthralling, any undemocratic arrangement whereby he is seen to be the only governorship contender. Such is no longer a contest.
Below is the remaining part of the press statement:
“We are constrained to address some issues raised by Ayiloge in the interview and put the records straight. The contrary means that his path of parfidy is worth taking.
On IGR
A major part of the vision of this administration is how to boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state. Governor Akeredolu believes that government cannot do much with poor IGR. A former staff of WEMA Bank, Mr. Tolu Adegbie, was appointed by the governor as the chairman of Ondo State Internal Revenue Service after emerging the best in a screening exercise conducted for applicants who sought the job.
Although, state is yet to attain her target, it is heartwarming to inform the public that the State IGR is no longer crawling. We have improved from N700m to an average of N1.5billion monthly.
Unfortunately, Ayiloge is not interested in the productivity of the revenue generation agency and commendable feat it has achieved within the last two years. Rather, the former Commissioner for Information mischievously elected to play politics by falsely linking Governor Akeredolu’s son with the now vibrant organization. This is preposterous and most unexpected of an elder whose passion for self aggradizement has overshadowed reasoning.
Infrastructure
We would have inferred Ayiloge’s comment on infrastructure in the state either shows self abnegation or unkindness to self. However, it is imperative to state that the Akeredolu government, which came on board in 2017, began its infrastructural projects in Ifedore Local Government Area. Ayiloge hails from Ifedore.
Among the various road projects done by the present government in Ifedore is that of Odo-Oja in Ijare where the family house of Ayiloge is located. If he cannot see other notable road projects across the state, he is, at least, expected to see the one that passes through the front of his father’s house in his hometown.
While Ayiloge reserves the right to run for the governorship of Ondo State, especially on the platform of the APC, his trajectory of lies are the least of desirable qualities needed by the people of the State. We have not gone that low in the Sunshine State.
Signed:
This Oyewamide Wande Ojo
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor
(Media and Publicity)
Read the interview in question here: https://thenationonlineng.net/ondo-2020-i-will-contest-against-akeredolu/