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Ondo APC, PDP trade words over Buhari, Mimiko’s achievements

By Oluwaseun Akingboye, Akure.
25 September 2015   |   3:45 am
The Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) has defended the Senator representing the state’s Northern Senatorial District, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice who carpeted the state Governor Olusegun Mimiko for his allegedly hash criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic policies.
Mimiko

Mimiko

The Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) has defended the Senator representing the state’s Northern Senatorial District, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice who carpeted the state Governor Olusegun Mimiko for his allegedly hash criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic policies.

In a statement, the state APC Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya said the party absolutely supported Boroffice in defence of President Buhari’s economic policies.

He declared that the party agreed with Senator Boroffice that Governor Mimiko is a prime beneficiary of the sound economic policies of President Buhari, stressing that, “the laudable policies of President Buhari cannot be satisfactorily implemented if our stolen wealth is not retrieved from looters of yesterday who served under the (allegedly) highly-corrupt People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led federal government.”

“We align with the honourable’s advice that Governor Mimiko should sit back for deep self-reflection on his newly found role because, it is absurd, hypocritical and also nonsensical for someone with a legacy of bad governance to advise the federal government on sound economic policies.”

“Indeed, the over-hyped programmes of the Mimiko-led administration with little impact to the development of Ondo State is better described as Ruining ‎Health Programmes than Caring Heart Programmes.

He further declared that” just over a year ago, the Mimiko-led administration advertised the recruitment of 2,000 teachers into the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), over 12 months down the line, no single teacher was employed and yet the government did not consider it necessary to offer public explanation and apology.”

According to him: “It is a clear indication of deceit and propaganda on‎ the part of the Mimiko-led government,” thereby advising “Ondo PDP to allow the people of Ondo State decide whether it is ‎logical for Senator Boroffice to comment on Mimiko’s criticism or not.”

Adesanya said, “Ondo State people are the one feeling the heat of the ‘Ruining Heart programmes of Governor Mimiko, Ondo PDP who are being fed with crumbs from the table of Governor Mimiko are weaken in its capacity to fairly assess the Governor.”

“We wish to state that Senator Boroffice has spoken the minds of the voiceless indigenes of Ondo State and also singing from the same hymn book as the ordinary citizen of the state. Ondo PDP on its part, is at liberty to toe the same path as its former national leadership ‎that culminated in its ousting from power.

Responding to earlier comment by Boroffice on the allegations against the Mimiko administration, the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that only a ‘caring heart governor’ can embark on the myriads of policies embarked upon by the state.

The Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, Banji Okunomo stated this in a statement released to The Guardian, where he said, “the attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo state has again been drawn to another one in the series of malicious publications emanating from the camp of the All Progressives Congress.

“In the said publication, Boroffice faulted Governor Olusegun Mimiko for criticising President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic policies and described Mimiko as an accidental critic.

“Boriffice alleged that the the Ondo State government lacked any serious policies and has succeeded in doing nothing for the people of the state for the past six years of the administration.
“It is on record that the present administration led by Governor Mimiko has embarked on a number of transformational programmes in the state in the past years,” he said.

Okunomo pointed out that the policies of the present administration have impacted positively on all sectors of the economic and socio-political lives of the people in the urban and rural areas of the state.

He noted that the tertiary institutions in the state pay the least tuition fees among their contemporaries, let alone the people-driven programmes in the health sector.

“How then can a distinguished Senator describe the Caring Heart Programme of the State government as Ruining Heart? If a state government provides cheap and affordable education for its citizens, do we call that ruining heart?

“Hence it is illogical and unreasonable for the Senator to describe Mimiko’s economic policies as a mere ruse. Only a caring government can do all that Mimiko has done for the people especially in terms of enhancing transformation of the entire state,” Okunomo said.

He flayed Boroffice for calling on Mimiko to appreciate President Mimiko for the bail out funding, emphasizing that “Buhari has not done anything special for Ondo state because it is not the only beneficiary of the palliative bail out funds.

“It is a national economic measure which had to be put in place in the face of the nation’s dwindling economy. It should also be on record that before the unfortunate economic crunch, Ondo State was one of the leading states when it comes to prompt payment of workers salaries.

“It is only a caring government that can do this. Even with the present economic situation, Ondo is one of the states owing workers very few months’ salaries. We have some states in the country owing their workers six to nine months salaries but Ondo state has just about two months salaries to clear and that would be done in no time from now.

“It is also uncalled for that the senator could describe governor Mimiko as an accidental critic despite the numerous programmes that the Mimiko-led administration has implemented in the state,” he said.

The PDP expressed dissatisfaction with the claim the that no activity was going on in the state, stating clearly that “the present government has worked and has continued to work.

“For example, all efforts have been put in place to ensure that government-owned schools in the state would begin to receive their running grants this from this moment.”

“How come someone of the senator’s status could come out to say that no activity is going on in the Ondo state?”

Moreover, he noted that the senator was lucky to have won a second term to the Senate which he said was not as a result of his popularity among the people.

“He won the March 28 election because of the change mantra that infested the public domain shortly before the election. One can be sure that people voted for APC in the state without being able to distinguish between the ballot box for the presidential and the National Assembly election.

“Senator Boroffice should not forget that he rode on the popularity of Governor Mimiko-led Labour Party to the Senate in the first place before he crossed carpet. But for Mimiko, maybe he would not be in the Senate now.”

His words: “So how come he is talking about some popularity? Who is fooling who? Peradventure Boroffice is making such assumption because of his total disconnect from the people. Nobody knows Boroffice. He has not done anything to touch the lives of the people of the state.

“Even for the past almost five years that he has been in the Senate, he has not sponsored a single bill that would be of benefit to the entire nation or the people of Ondo State.

“It should be stated un-equivocally that Ondo State is a no go area for the APC in the forthcoming 2016 gubernatorial election. The people of the state are wiser and would not be deceived again with some nebulous propaganda because so far, Buhari has not impressed the people as regards providing good governance and the people are sick of it.

According to him: “If he continues to fight corruption, when is he going to settle down to attend to issues that would help improve the economy of the state? The people of Ondo state can no longer be fooled and Senator Boroffice should not think he could win the governorship election in which he intends to contest with some nebulous propaganda.”

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