Ondo deputy gov’s year-long stay in hotels raises concerns

The continued stay of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Olayide Adelami, in hotels one year after inauguration has begun to raise concerns in the state following the revelation of the amount of bills incurred.

Adelami, since his assumption on February 1, 2024, has stayed in no fewer than four different hotels within the Ijapo and Alagbaka axis in Akure, the state capital, following the renovation of the official deputy governor’s lodge.

With the state government alleged to have spent over N130 million of taxpayers’ money on hotel bills to house the deputy governor, a source revealed other bills for his aides had also been incurred.

The source, who is a top government official, stated that the deputy governor does not live in Government House because of the poor state of the official quarters, which had been converted to an office.

According to him, the state government ought to have allocated one or two of the apartments at the newly renovated VIP lodge in the Government House to Adelami instead of expending taxpayer money on the hotel bills.

The state official further stated that the deputy governor’s crew has incurred hotel bills running to several million Naira, adding that there are still huge unpaid bills for accommodation and lodging.

He said: “Despite spending a huge amount of money on renovating the VIP lodge, all the occupants of the lodge had been flushed out, and the only occupant at the VIP lodge at the moment is the state finance commissioner.

“The deputy governor should be temporarily allocated the VIP lodge within the government house pending the period the deputy governor’s lodge will be completed. Accommodations were provided for the deputy governor and his aides in these hotels, and they have been using various hotels for one year now.”

The Director of Student Mobilisation of the Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign council, Ijanusi Olawale, had alleged the state government of squandering the resources of the state on the accommodation of the deputy governor.

Ijanusi, in his statement, urged the state government to channel the money used for lodging the deputy governor and his aides in hotels to sectors like education and health, among others.

On his part, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Media, Rahman Adekunle Yusuf, explained that Adelami occasionally stayed in hotel apartments in Akure, as his official government quarter is under renovation.

Yusuf stated that the allegation that Adelami stays in a hotel in Akure, thereby wasting state resources, is misleading.

He said, “It is noteworthy that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has ordered the renovation of the Deputy Governor’s official residence, which will be completed soon.

“It is on record that no deputy governor has occupied the said lodge since the first tenure of late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, including Agboola Ajayi.

“Dr. Olayide Adelami was provided a room at a hotel by the protocol unit of the Deputy Governor’s office due to the pressure of the work, which most times doesn’t allow him to return to Owo, as his supposed official residence was under renovation.

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“The hotel accommodation provided for Dr. Adelami is a room and parlour for him alone, and none of his aides has ever stayed in the hotel with him, as we all have our own accommodations in different places within the Akure metropolis.

“It should be noted that the Deputy Governor knows nothing about the hotel payment, which is not in his purview, but always checks out of the hotel to relocate to his country home in Owo when there are no matters of urgent importance for him to attend to in Akure, due to his prudent nature.

“For several days in each month, the deputy governor comes to his office in Akure from Owo, where he houses and feeds everyone on his entourage from his personal purse, as he has always done for anyone close to him, even before he became deputy governor.”