with Adedotun Ajayi

The Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, had a week of high-impact engagements spanning sports development, education reform, agricultural partnerships, and infrastructure supervision. His activities reflected a steady commitment to youth empowerment, institutional transformation, food security, and judicial efficiency.

The governor began his week in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he attended the opening ceremony of the 22nd National Sports Festival on Sunday. The event, tagged the Gateway Games, took place at the MKO Abiola International Stadium, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

On Monday, Governor Aiyedatiwa paid a surprise visit to the Ondo State contingent camped at Babcock University. Addressing the athletes, he charged them to surpass the state’s best-ever fourth-place finish in the history of the games and uphold Ondo’s legacy of excellence.

“At some point, Ondo State regularly finished between sixth and 13th positions; we’ve even came fourth as our highest. You must not go below that,” he said, pledging his administration’s full support for sports development.

The governor emphasized that the festival could serve as a springboard for budding athletes to build professional careers. The athletes in turn appreciated the governor’s morale-boosting visit and vowed to return home with multiple medals.

Also on Monday, Governor Aiyedatiwa received the report of the Visitation Panel set up to assess the operations of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo.

The panel, led by Professor Victor Olumekun, presented a two-volume report at a brief ceremony in the Governor’s Office. While commending their objective review, the governor assured that the recommendations would not be ignored.

“What makes me particularly pleased is the fact that you focused not on individuals, but on the positions they occupy. That is how institutions are built and sustained,” he said.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to transform UNIMED into a globally competitive institution through reforms rooted in accountability, structure, and continuity.

On Tuesday, Governor Aiyedatiwa hosted the management team of the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA), led by its Managing Director, Dr. Olufemi Adekanmbi.

He expressed his administration’s readiness to partner with the Authority to improve agricultural productivity, manage water resources more efficiently, and tackle food insecurity through deliberate, inclusive agribusiness strategies.

“Insecurity has been a major issue, especially in areas where farmers have been displaced from their lands by criminal herders,” he said, assuring that his government is considering the creation of farming zones and is already addressing illegal land occupations affecting BORBDA properties.

The governor also revealed plans for a World Bank-backed water project to utilize the Owena Dam for clean water supply in Akure and its environs.

Dr. Adekanmbi acknowledged the Governor’s support and outlined BORBDA’s pending projects in the state, including dam-based irrigation and a proposed hydropower partnership with UNIDO.

Meanwhile on Friday, the governor joined distinguished sons and daughters of Ijesa land at the coronation of Oba Clement Adesuyi Haaatrup, the new Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesa land at Ilesha, Osun State.

And behalf of the government and people of Ondo State, he extended felicitations to the Royal family and prayed that the Almighty God guides the steps of the new monarch and grant him the wisdom, knowledge and understanding to lead his people towards a brighter future.

Rounding off the week, Governor Aiyedatiwa on Saturday paid an unscheduled inspection visit to the site of the new Ondo State Judiciary  Complex in Akure.

Accompanied by the Special Adviser on Infrastructure, Lands and Housing, Mr. Abiola Olawoye, the governor expressed satisfaction with the quality and speed of construction. The project, named after the late former Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, is designed to house ceremonial and modular courts, a registry, library, and other facilities.

“I am happy with how the project is going… This is an indication that the project will be completed as planned,” he stated, reiterating the administration’s commitment to delivering the project within the 48-week timeframe.

The governor’s visit came shortly after he attended a session of the Ondo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which adjourned to June 4, 2025, for judgment.