Lucky Aiyedatiwa has pledged to run an inclusive government, prioritising welfare, economic growth, and collective progress for Ondo citizens, but it remains to be seen how the returnee governor intends to avoid some of the pitfalls of his predecessors, writes David Meshioye.
As the dust finally settled on Ondo State gubernatorial election that was characterised by war of words, intrigues, and drama, the real work is set to begin as Governor Aiyedatiwa mulls his challenges.
All eyes are on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as he steps into a fresh term in office with questions raised if he is capable of delivering on his pre-election promises and restoring Ondo State to its former glory days.
To many, his smooth road to power laid credence to the fact that APC remains the party to beat as far as politics in Nigeria is concerned. As earlier predicted by TheGuardian, the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) was highly tipped to make Ondo State Guber election a stroll in the park but a clean sweep of 18 local governments of the state was not what anyone had anticipated. No one saw it coming, even political forecasters never saw it.
Ondo State Governorship election may have come and gone, but the memory will continue to linger in the minds of political bigwigs in the state given the fact that this is the second time a political party would win in all local government of a state after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ayodele Fayose, defeated the APC governor, Kayode Fayemi, in all 16 local government areas of the state ten years ago.
Characterised by drama, name-calling and campaign of calumny, the pre-election was like a well-written soap opera that is capable of tearing the state from top down to the middle with opposition determined to exploit the cracks within Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s APC to seize power, but it was no small achievement that the poll was conducted with no single report of violence. Independent observers acknowledge that while there may have been flaws in terms of organisation, Aiyedatiwa believes the outcomes largely reflect the will of the people.
Aiyedatiwa’s victory is coming against the backdrop of several economic challenges in the state and his biggest challenge now would be how best to inspire a new era and most importantly channel Ondo State’s rich heritage to benefit the people he governs irrespective of religion, ethnic and religious affiliations. But there are many rivers to cross if the state governor is hell-bent on delivering his mandate to his people. Below are some of his challenges:
Debt Burden
Winning the November guber poll may just be one of the easiest ways for Aiyedatiwa, the bigger task will be fixing the finances of the state which are currently in a precarious condition. With declining low Internally generated revenue in the states, Aiyedatiwa will need to be financially innovative to tackle the revenue shortfall while managing the growing financial demands to complete several projects left by his predecessor. This task may have become even more daunting following his recent announcement that the new minimum wage of ₦73, 000 for civil servants in the state will be implemented starting this month.
There is a debt burden hanging over his neck as well; Ondo just like other states has not been able to contain its debt profile below its revenue. With debt-to-revenue ratios well above 100 percent, Aiyedatiwa and his think tank team will have to dig deeply into their economics book of tricks and deploy other means to grow their revenue base while cutting down on the huge borrowing appetite to fix a state enmeshed in huge debts. However, Aiyedatiwa deserves a pat on the back for his efforts in reducing domestic debt. Data from the Debt Management Office, DMO, revealed a significant decrease in Ondo state’s domestic debt for the first quarter of 2024. The index shows that the state made the most domestic debt cut in Q1 this year with impressive reductions of 77 percent, N55.11 billion. But more work still needs to be done to increase internal revenue without aggravating the living conditions of his people who are already pushed to the wall economically.
” The state government consistently struggles with low revenue, primarily due to its significant reliance on monthly allocations from the Federal Government to operate effectively,” said Saheed Olayori, a political analyst and member, Maritime Union of Nigeria.
”Governor Aiyedatiwa will face the challenge of finding innovative ways to generate revenue. This is essential not only to cover the expenses needed to run the state but also to address the legacy debts left by his predecessors.
“This also goes to tell us that a state government may identify taxable revenue within its territory but still has to create the infrastructure to collect it,” he said
Security Concerns
There is no gainsaying that insecurity in Nigeria caused different levels of government to domesticate its security networks. Such a move made by the Ondo State Government led to the creation of the Amotekun Security Network to improve the security of life and property of people in the state following the persistent siege laid by marauders on the highways and farms in the state.
However, the modern trend of combating crime and terrorism in this 21st century has become more sophisticated to the extent that conventional security architecture like Amotekun has become grossly inadequate given how terrorists now devise sophisticated methods of carrying out attacks. Governor Aiyedatiwa would need to upgrade security architecture to the level whereby the security system and the personnel can combat the crime and even nip it in the bud before attacks.
The governor has been working to address security issues in the state, particularly in border communities. He has emphasized the need for synergy among security agencies to protect residents.
Security expert, Adejare Emmanuel says the governor must not go to bed with two eyes closed, rather, he must deploy every means to protect the state against invaders and avoid wanton destruction of lives and properties.
”Governor Lucky must be very vigilant as far as security in the state is concerned. A safe state where people don’t live in perpetual fear of what might happen to them will not only attract investors, it will help in seamless implementation of government policies which will give birth to economic growth,” he said
Infrastructure Development
Mimiko’s projects like free Medicare and free education made him outstanding in office and people from other states migrated to the state to benefit from it. Mimiko did well to upgrade classrooms and build new ones, but the daunting task before Aiyedatiwa is how best to leverage this good cause and continue where his predecessors stopped.
Although the governor is working to upgrade Health and education infrastructure and improve access to quality education in the state. In one of his post-election interviews, Aiyedatiwa vowed to complete all abandoned projects inherited from Late Akeredolu. Abandoned projects like the Onyearugbulem bridge that links Shagari Estate must be given immediate attention to ease traffic from the area.
Also, there is Oda Road which is one of the legacies of his administration. The governor revealed that the drainage and grading have now been completed after contractors left the site during Akeredolu’s final days coupled with the impeachment struggle. Reports have it that Aiyedatiwa pulled them back to the site. The Ijoka road is another project begging for attention while the Oke Aro road from Akure to Idanre must be completed to make the state more accessible. This in the long run will help alleviate the pressing problem of food shortage in the state which is triggered by poor mobility of farm produce from the farm to retailers.
Not forgetting that some riverine communities like Aiyetoro (where crude oil qualifies Ondo as an oil-producing state) are in a sorry condition. The governor, as a matter of urgency, must address this to prevent youths of the community from taking up arms to demand state attention.
Economic Development
Although Governor Aiyedatiwa has continued to assure everyone who cares to listen that he is focused on implementing economic relief policies and promoting investment in the state by encouraging community development and supporting initiatives like the Ondo Entrepreneurship Festival, all of these initiatives would amount to a drop in an ocean if the Deep Seaport project that was envision under Agagu is not revisited.
Ondo State, because of its geographical location, does not require deep dredging, and if Aiyedatiwa can make the project top in the pecking order of his vision while in office, investors will be ready to build a seaport in the state which will help reduce congestion at Tin Can and Apapa Port. That means more money for the state, job opportunities for the indigenes, and less reliance on federal allocation.
Conclusion
It is expected that Aiyedatiwa will see criticisms of the opposition in a good light, run a transparent government, be accountable to the people, and most importantly avoid another Wike-Fubara soap opera that is capable of tearing the state from the top down to the middle
