Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has said that his administration would have zero-tolerance for corruption, indolence, and disloyalty. He also said that his administration would deploy performance measuring techniques to assess the level of accountability and efficiency of members of his cabinet.

The governor emphasised that his focus would be on speed and accuracy in governance. Aiyedatiwa gave this hint, yesterday, during the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed and reappointed members of the State Executive Council.

The governor, therefore, charged the cabinet members to immediately settle into their roles and deliver tangible results, stressing that they must key into the administration’s seven-point developmental agenda, tagged ‘Our Ease’, which he said, was designed to accelerate the state’s growth and development.

Aiyedatiwa further urged the appointees to embrace teamwork and collaborate effectively with career officers, permanent secretaries, and accounting officers in their various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), as the success of the government depends on a unified administration with a shared vision.

IN another development, Aiyedatiwa has urged the youth to eschew all forms of violence and articulate their concerns peacefully to the government by presenting collaborative ideas that will enhance the Niger Delta region.

He gave the advice during the 15th anniversary of the Niger Delta National Youth and Development Stakeholders Forum, in conjunction with the 10th Regional Stakeholders Retreat, Training, and Dialogue, which commenced in Akure, the state capital, on Tuesday.

The four-day event, themed “Collaborating with Youth and Development Stakeholders in the Niger Delta for Peace, Security, and Development,” attracted eminent government officials from both federal and state levels, policymakers, and youth leaders from the nine Niger Delta states of the nation.

The governor, who was represented by OSOPADEC Secretary, Abike Bayo-Ilawole, said that the objective of the development stakeholders’ meeting is to unlock the Niger Delta’s potential, foster peace and security, and facilitate sustainable development in the resource-abundant regions.

He expressed concern over the myriads of challenges obstructing prior developmental initiatives by successive administrations, which have impeded the pace of infrastructural transformation in the region.

According to him, these challenges include sabotage, oil theft, insecurity, and youths’ restiveness, primarily driven by unemployment, economic deprivation, and environmental degradation.

He said: “The restoration of peace and security alone in the region will create a conducive environment for the government to address the legitimate grievances of the youth. This must be enforced firmly, uncompromisingly, yet objectively. It must then be succeeded by sincere and constructive engagement of the people in dialogue with the government.”

He, therefore, encouraged the youth not to leave security matters solely to security personnel, emphasising that a peaceful atmosphere in the region can only be achieved through a collective effort.