Akeredolu swears in 18 council chairmen, urges them to eschew impunity

Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has urged the newly elected executives of the 18 councils in the state to prioritize people-oriented policies, urging them to shun impunity.

Akeredolu said this in Akure during the inauguration ceremony for the 18 chairmen, who won the local government election in Saturday, on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Despite the shortfall in revenue and allocation, he stated that his administration had tried to deliver dividends of democracy to the people.

“Our administration will continue to discourage all attitudes which subordinate the interests of the generality of the people to parochial and selfish preferences. We are irrevocably committed to the welfare of the people.”

Governor Akeredolu warned that “The victories recorded at the polls must not be taken as licence to embrace recklessness and wanton display of arrogance.

“Anyone who harbours any aspirations extraneous to the welfare of the people will be discouraged. On this, there will be no compromise. No elected representative will be allowed to trample on them without dire consequences.”

He explained that all the elected representatives of the people must wean themselves off the illusion of wanton disregard to the established precepts in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The governor, however, mentioned that the election was not perfect, adding that “results from some localities showed some measure of opposition to the ruling party.

“This is a verdict on the quality of performance of elected or appointed political leaders associated with the ruling party. It is expected in a democracy. Any wise leader will take a cue from this experience and adjust appropriately.

“We will not condone any acts which may put our achievements in jeopardy. We will monitor the activities of all those given the mandate to serve. We will encourage ingenuity and resourcefulness.

“We will sanction, swiftly, any errant behaviour which treats the welfare of the people with contempt.”

Meanwhile, the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) cancelled some councillorship results due to violence and snatching of ballot boxes in some areas.

But Governor Akeredolu insisted that all non-APC councillors who won the election should be declared the winner by ODIEC.

Speaking on the forthcoming governorship election, he solicited the support of the people. “We will encourage all those who seek to offer themselves for service to the people to conduct themselves with utmost civility.

“We will not condone violence or any anti-social behaviour disguised as political campaign. We will sanction deviance swiftly and firmly.”

The 18 chairmen embarked on their first assignment by following the governor and other APC chieftains to witness the official handing over of campaign secretariat, which formerly belonged to an APC aspirant, Ife Oyedele.

Oyedele, who withdrew from the July 20 governorship primary election to support Akeredolu, donated the multi-million Naira secretariat to support the governor’s second term.