Get Guardian on Google… Rejects claims of Owo’s ‘automatic entitlement’ to Senate seat
… Says Ajipe’s allegations betray poor understanding of legislative duties
The Ondo North Development and Advocacy Forum has raised alarm over what it describes as persistent allegations, personal attacks and misleading narratives directed at Senator Olajide Ipinsagba by the Alex Ajipe Campaign Organisation.
The Forum warned that such tactics, if allowed to continue, threaten to degrade the quality of political discourse in the senatorial district.
In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Akin Ogunleye, the group said the campaign organisation appears more focused on discrediting a serving senator than engaging in constructive conversations about the development of Ondo North.
Ogunleye maintained that the allegations levelled against Ipinsagba betray a poor understanding of legislative responsibilities.
While reeling in the antecedents of the senator, the group maintained that Ipinsagba had been in the private sector long before his foray into partisan politics, noting that he founded Manuex Company in 1990.
He added that the senator developed business interests across multiple sectors and contributed to employment generation through private enterprise and also served as National President of Junior Chamber International Nigeria in 2002.
The group rejected attempts to portray the Ondo North Senate seat as an automatic entitlement of Owo in 2027, noting that Owo/Ose occupied the position from 1999 to 2011, Akoko South-East/South-West from 2011 to 2023, and Akoko North-East/North-West assumed representation in 2023.
Ogunleye further argued that political representation should be determined through fairness, equity, democratic consultation and the collective interests of the district rather than claims of ownership by any particular constituency.
“Ajipe has consistently projected himself as an industrialist and taken considerable credit for facilitating foreign investment into Ondo State through the Ondo-Linyi Industrial Hub in Ore.
“Before the emergence of the Akeredolu administration in 2017, what was Ajipe’s established profile in the industrial sector? What industries did he own or operate? What industrial establishments does he personally own today that substantiate his repeated claims of being an industrialist?
“These are legitimate questions that deserve clear and verifiable answers. In August 2020, Ajipe reportedly announced that foreign investors had injected approximately $350 million into Ondo State within two years.
“He also disclosed that 15 companies were involved in the first phase of the industrial hub, with seven reportedly having commenced operations. Earlier projections had also put the expected direct and indirect employment opportunities at about 20,000.
“Six years after those announcements, the people of Ondo State deserve an objective assessment of the project’s performance.
“How much of the projected investment was eventually realised? How many of the proposed companies became fully operational? How many sustainable jobs were created? What measurable economic benefits have accrued to the people and government of Ondo State?”
Ogunleye also states that lawmakers identify constituency needs, advocate for development interventions and facilitate the inclusion of projects in the national budget, while implementation rests with the relevant ministries, departments and agencies, and the release of funds is subject to established budgetary and administrative procedures.
“It is therefore misleading to accuse Senator Ipinsagba of misappropriation merely because a constituency project remains uncompleted, without presenting credible evidence linking him to any financial wrongdoing,” he said.
The Forum listed interventions facilitated and supported by the senator since his inauguration in 2023 to include scholarships and bursaries, youth empowerment programmes, agricultural support, solar electrification, healthcare interventions and employment opportunities for constituents, citing the proposed ICT University in Ikare-Akoko.
“The National Assembly is not an investment promotion agency, just as a senator is not an executive governor.
“The development of Ondo North is too important to be sacrificed on the altar of political propaganda, personal vendettas and unsubstantiated allegations,” the Forum said.
