The Ondo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday, said the Ill-health and absence of the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has grounded the state economically.
The PDP, which expressed its displeasure over the development, declared that the governor must hand over power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa for governance to continue in the state.
The state chairman of PDP, Fatai Adams, stated this in Akure while speaking on the present state of the Sunshine State.
Adams alleged that a cabal in government had been taking advantage of the ill health and absence of the governor to perpetrate evil in the government.
He said, “We are however deeply concerned about the ruinous cost the health challenge of the governor has bestowed upon the state, the most obvious is the emergence of a cabal, largely informal that has seized every initiative, mindlessly driving our state to penury.
“As we speak, there is no clear leader of government business, the governor remains on his sick bed, the deputy governor is still battling for his political survival, irrespective of President Bola Tinubu’s much-proclaimed intervention and our state continues to wander in darkness. Most disturbing however is that our finances are suffering as hard-earned resources of the state are being pilfered by interest groups within and outside government, this is to the detriment of our development and wellbeing.”
Reiterating the call for transmission of power to the deputy governor, the PDP chairman urged Akeredolu to adopt the advice he gave late former President Umar Yar’Adua and transmit the power to enable him to attend to his health properly.
“Much as we know, our governor is sick or at best recuperating, thus he remains missing in action and our state deserves every attention, this is why the constitution made provisions for a period like this.
“We wish to remind Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of his admonition to President Umaru Yar‘Adua when he was ill, he said and we quote, ‘no matter how much you love your country, it should not be at the detriment of your health. It is not your party or your wife that will determine whether you are capable of handling state matters; it is only your doctors’
“It is now crystal clear that Akeredolu’s doctors have since instructed him to stay away from his office and state, this certainly underscores the fact that he is currently not fit to handle state matters; we urge Mr Governor to please use his then advice to the late President Yar’Adua and again transmit power to the deputy governor in the interest of our dear state.
Akeredolu has since been staying at his private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State after returning from a medical vacation in Germany, where he went for treatment, in September this year.
To this end, many stakeholders have been calling for his return to the state, while some have been asking the state House of Assembly to declare him incapacitated and declare his deputy, Aiyedatiwa, an acting governor, pending the time Akeredolu would return to the state.
