By Segun Ajiboye

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In leadership, character is everything. And among those attributes listed to make up the character of a good leader are: Vision, courage, candour and determination. These attributes contribute in no small measure to the success of any leader.
Without doubt, the presence of these attributes in Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State make him well-equipped for the challenges of governance. Akeredolu’s vision, courage, candour and determination have resulted in unprecedented achievements in several sectors in the state.
And the achievements have been more pronounced in the number of roads constructed, primary education, health care and industrialisation among others.
In his bid to open up the economy to viable investors and make access to the state very easy, Akeredolu intervened in the comatose air transportation service. Within a period of six months, the Akure airport came back to life, with daily flights from Abuja and Lagos.
Having established a hugely successful daily flights into the state from Lagos and Abuja, operated by two viable operators, the governor was set and indeed moved on to a journey to build a solid economic foundation for the state.
In his three years plus in the saddle, Governor Akeredolu has recorded unprecedented success in all sectors, including education, infrastructure, health and industrial among others. His success in the number and quality of roads constructed has attracted commendations from even his most ardent critic. Taking into consideration the economic state of the state at the time, the number and roads constructed was nothing but magical.
The administration inherited a decayed and derelict infrastructure. The roads, even in the capital city, were pockmarked with craters and gullies. For the people, especially those of the northern and southern senatorial districts, the roads had become death traps.
From Ikare-Akoko to Oka-Akoko and to other areas in Ilaje and Ese-Odo local government areas, stories of multiple deaths caused by damaged portions of the roads became a daily feature of our lives. At the notorious Oke Oka and Oke Alabojuto roads in Oka and Ikare respectively, entire families have been wiped out multiple times.
But, in three years, the story has changed. Governor Akeredolu has done what many thought was impossible and there are new songs on the lips of the people. The mythical Oke Alabojuto hill in Ikare Akoko has given way to the bulldozers deployed by Akeredolu, leaving the people marvelling.
In the central senatorial zone, Akure is gradually wearing a true status of a state capital. The major roads around the capital city are wearing new looks. Residents of the State Hospital Road, State High Court road, Oke Ogba, Iwalewa, Abusoro and many other areas are hailing the governor for a good job. And the construction of new road networks in the Alagbaka area has continued to wow the people who now refer to the area as their own Banana Island.
The construction of the flyover on the Benin-Ore expressway has changed the narratives in Ore by putting a permanent end to the daily carnage of loss of lives on the expressway.
In three years, 99.34 kilometres of roads have been constructed, while 140 kilometres are undergoing construction.
Industrialisation
The industrial revolution started by Akeredolu three years ago has yielded results that have surpassed everybody’s imagination. The truck assembly plant at the Ondo/Linyi Industrial Hub, marks another huge leap in the governor’s effort to change the narrative in the state’s economic fortune.
Recall that the Ondo Linyl Industrial Hub has; as its components; the Line of Production of High Density Fibreboard, the Cassava to Ethanol Plant which can process about 300 metric tonnes of cassava per day, and the Win-Win Textile Factory, all located within the Ore Industrial Park.
This truck assembly plant is the first truck assemblage plant in the country. This is obviously in fulfilment of Akeredolu’s determination to make Ondo State an industrial hub of the country, a celebrated project which was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari on February 25, 2020 during the third anniversary of the governor.
The truck assembly plant, operated by one of China’s leading truck brands; Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Company Limited; has its products range covering heavy and medium-duty trucks. Following the approval for the grant of license for the automobile assembly plant in November 2019, Dongfeng Vehicle Company which was established in 1969, began operations of assemblage of the truck parts in Ondo State on March 1, 2020, when the first consignment arrived in the Lagos port.
Workers’ welfare
The great philosopher, Aristotle said: “Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives – choice, not chance, determines destiny”.
This quote aptly describes the personae of Governor Akeredolu. The love extended to him by the state workforce is not by accident. It is a love he earned by his display of unparalleled maturity and leadership style.
The Akeredolu administration has not missed any of its salary obligations since its inception and has also been able to pay six (6) out of the 7 months’ salaries owed by the previous administration. In January, 2020, the State Government and organized Labour signed an Agreement on the implementation of the N30, 000.00 New Minimum Wage and consequential adjustments.
In November 2017, 14 Permanent Secretaries were appointed by Governor Akeredolu including those having few months to retirement. In the same vein, as a way of encouraging and rewarding hard-working public servants, the governor approved the appointment of another 30 permanent secretaries/ tutors-general in the state public service in July, 2019. The Boards and Parastatals were not left out as 3 general managers were also appointed.
The welfare of the workers has continued to be prioritised by the administration with the training and retraining programmes embarked upon for different categories of workers. Specifically, Governor Akeredolu’s administration has embarked on different kinds of capacity building programmes for Public Servants in the State and about 1400 workers had benefited. This has engendered higher productivity and better service delivery to the people of the State.
In 2017 4,411 workers were promoted, 2018, 4,821 workers were promoted and in 2019, 6,702 workers and currently in 2020, 3,650 workers are being considered for promotion with all the financial benefits paid up to date. All these happening at a time when several other states in the country are struggling to meet their obligations to the workforce is no mean feat.
Education
At the inception of his administration, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN made a vow to promote quality and sustainable education that will ensure a technological growth never experienced in the state before. Three and half years on, a solid and sure-footed foundation has been laid from primary to tertiary education to ensure that the future of the state is better structured for modern day challenges through quality and sustainable education.
Between 2017 and 2020, 662 public primary schools spread across the state have either been totally reconstructed or renovated and fitted with computer and leisure facilities that have combined to make learning easy for the children.
Of course, this has brought about dramatic increase in the number of pupils registered in public primary schools in the state. Today, the children are happy and eager to go to school every day.
A recent survey carried out across the state revealed that parents now withdraw their wards from private schools and registering them in public primary schools.
A prominent and respected Islamic scholar who is also the Chief Imam of Akure, the state capital, Alhaji Akorede, has continued to praise the governor over his intervention in the state of primary education in Ondo State. He was particularly impressed with the construction of several dilapidated public primary schools structures in the state.
Security
The entire southwest region of the country was put on edge by criminal elements who operated day and night with reckless abandon. But Governor Akeredolu, who is also the chairman of Southwest Governors’ Forum, rallied his colleagues in the region and came up with the Southwest Security Network, codenamed Amotekun.
Aside from checkmating criminals in the entire region, Amotekun has largely restored the honour and respect of the Yoruba race among other ethnic nationalities in the country.
Peace has returned to the coastal area of the state, courtesy of the moves by the governor. The governor made a bold step in restoring security to the state when he got the Federal Government to extend its amnesty programme to former militants to indigenes of the state who are willing to lay down their arms.
To a large extent, the programme has successfully brought the much-needed peace to the riverine areas of the state. This, in turn, has assured the free inflow of investors who are now willing to invest in the sunshine state.
And as part of the efforts to strengthen the security agencies in the state for the onerous task of ensuring the security of the people, the governor holds a regular meeting with heads of the security agencies and provides funds for better gadgets and equipment.
The Akeredolu administration has donated security vans to police to assist them in the task of ensuring security of the citizenry. Also, in the creek about 10 speed boats have been donated to the Nigerian Navy to help in policing the coastal areas.