By Adedotun Ajayi.

How time flies, they say. It was just like yesterday when the late Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, died after a protracted illness. Following the death of the ‘Mr Talk and Do’ Governor in Germany on December 27, 2023, the then Acting Governor who had been Governor Aketi’s deputy, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, was sworn in  to continue the good governance from where the late Governor stopped.

Like a watch in the night, Governor Aiyedatiwa, today, clocks 100 days in office. In line with the popular adage, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a step, the Ondo State Government under Governor Aiyedatiwa has not just taken ordinary steps but bold steps to build on the dividends of democracy which the current government has been providing for the good people of the State.

Workers welfare

Governor Aiyedatiwa has earned himself the title of a workers-friendly governor due to the premium he has placed on the welfare of civil and public servants in the State. The Aiyedatiwa administration in January paid the January 2017 salary arrears owed to the civil servants and in March, he paid three months’ salary arrears of the staff of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo. This came just two months after he approved the release of N850million to the institution to shore up its subvention. The administration has also emplaced a culture of prompt payment of salaries as and when due.

The monthly N35, 000 wage award to public servants to cushion economic hardship is among the highest in the country, while civil servants and student also enjoy free shuttle buses to and fro to relief them of the cost of transportation every day. Aside regular payment of pension, the government also pays N10, 000 wage award to all categories of pensioners in the State. In the same vein, over N1.5billion has been disbursed for the payment of gratuity in the last three months.

Education

As if to prove that indeed knowledge is light, Governor Aiyedatiwa has deliberately beamed his searchlight of good governance on the education sector, as seen in the ongoing recruitment of about 2,000 teachers into public schools to rescue the sector from acute shortage of teachers.

Also, the State Government released the sum of N550,000,000 for the payment of 2024 WAEC fees for students in public secondary schools to alleviate the financial burden of parents and guardians.

The State Chief helmsman has also ensured that free shuttle school buses and boats for pupils in riverine areas have been running across the State, in addition to the ongoing process of rehabilitating hundreds of public primary schools in the Sunshine State. Tertiary institutions have not been left out of the state government’s goodwill as the Governor recently approved N1billion for the construction of a new Senate Building for the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo and another N1.2 billion for the completion of abandoned projects at the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa.

Infrastructure

The Aiyedatiwa administration has made the provision of infrastructure and social amenities nothing less than a priority. When he came on board, the Governor ordered all contractors back to sites while also ensuring that they were remunerated based on the stages of work done. As a result of that, projects such as Oda Road dualisation, Ijoka Road dualization and the Irese/Shagari Flyover in Akure, Owo dualization, Igoba Road construction, and many others have now gotten a new lease of life.

In addition, the Governor, in February, flagged off construction of rural roads across the State to help farmers with easy transportation of their farm produce to towns and cities, a N3.4b project. The first phase of the project cuts across the three senatorial districts of the State. They are: Oda-Cocoa Board-Langbodo in Akure South LG in the Central; Ode-Omi-Ebute Iyara in Irele LGA for the South; and Ifira Akoko-Afo in Akoko South East LG for the North. This is just as the Ministry of Infrastructure last week flagged off filling of potholes on major roads in the State.

Meanwhile, there is an ongoing rehabilitation of 60km selected roads with asphalt-overlay across the State while potholes on all major roads are now being filled.

The first phase of the Light Up Akure project has already taken off with major roads in the State capital now illuminated at night. The Governor has also embarked on a mission to restore Akure, the State capital, to its old status as one of the cleanest state capitals in Nigeria.

To this end, the newly launched Operation Keep Ondo Clean initiative has recorded significant improvement in the waste management of the State in general and the State capital in particular. The Operation Flush initiative is also being rebranded to ensure that channelization is carried out effectively ahead of raining season to prevent incessant flooding.

Employment

While the Governor is promoting the welfare of workers on one hand, on the other hand he has committed himself to providing employment opportunities for the teeming young people in the State. In February, the Governor approved the release of employment letters to 165 newly recruited staff of the Ondo State Internal Revenue Service (ODIRS). About 100 health workers were also recruited by the Civil Service Commission while the process is currently ongoing to recruit additional 600.

In the midst of the turbulent state of the economy at the moment, the current administration continues to increase human capital potential of its citizens, steadfastly running the race to make Akure the tech capital of Nigeria. The government this year began equipping its youths with the necessary skills to thrive in evolving Information and Communication Technology (ICT) landscape.

This can be seen in the 618 participants trained and empowered in February. Also, 10 most innovative young entrepreneurs are being empowered to the tune of N3million each while the Governor also approved an Entrepreneur Summit for young people to hold this month. This is aside the N200million loans to traders, artisans, SMEs to improving the economic lot of the citizens who are self-employed.