The Ondo State Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami, has come under scrutiny following allegations that he and his aides have incurred ₦130 million in hotel bills over the past year, reportedly funded by taxpayers.
Since his swearing-in in February 2024, Dr Adelami has been residing in hotel apartments due to ongoing renovations at his official quarters within the Government House grounds. The deputy governor’s official residence had been converted into a computer centre and situation room for the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 general elections.
According to Vanguard, findings indicate that Dr Adelami has lodged in four high-end hotels in the state, with additional expenses beyond accommodation.
The Director of Students Mobilisation for the Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign council, Ijanusi Olawale, criticised the expenditure, suggesting that the state government should have allocated the newly renovated VIP lodge to the deputy governor instead of spending public funds on hotel accommodations.
Olawale said, “Despite spending a huge amount of money renovating the VIP lodge, all the lodge occupants had been flushed out.
“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.”
He urged the government to redirect the funds spent on hotel accommodation to essential sectors such as education and healthcare for the benefit of the public.
A senior government official, who spoke anonymously, acknowledged that the state government had accumulated significant outstanding hotel bills for the deputy governor and his aides.
He said, “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 money released for the quarter by the Ministry of Finance was not enough to offset the outstanding bills incurred on the hotel accommodation.”
In response, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Media, Rahman Adekunle Yusuf, confirmed that the deputy governor occasionally stayed in a hotel apartment in Akure while his official residence was undergoing renovations. However, he dismissed claims that this was a drain on state resources.
According to him, “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.
“For the records, Dr Olayide Adelami, an accomplished Nigerian who retired as Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, was sworn in as the Deputy Governor of Ondo State on the 1st of February, 2024 and was operating from his house in Owo.
“He was later 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 didn’t allow him to return to Owo, as his supposed official residence was under renovation.
“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 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 purse, as he had always done for anyone close to him, even before he became Deputy Governor.”
A senior government official, speaking anonymously, dismissed the controversy, insisting that the actual expenses incurred were significantly lower than the alleged figure.
According to him, “Where do they want the Deputy Governor to be sleeping when his official quarters are still under renovation?
“No doubt, the official quarters of the Deputy Governor would soon be ready, and there would not be any more complaints.”
Leave a Reply