By Olumide Akinrinlola
Yes! I agree with everyone who has drawn the attention of His Excellency, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to the deplorable conditions of the Ore/Okitipupa road. However, I disagree with those blaming the governor for the state of the road. This road has become a death trap due to the docility and legislative failures of your two federal lawmakers: Jimi Odimayo, the incumbent House of Representatives member for Okitipupa-Irele, and your former Senator, now an ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, His Excellency, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim.
I remember the last time repairs were carried out on this road; it was done by the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), with another section managed by the NDDC, courtesy of Sen Nicholas Tofowomo’s legislative advocacy as the representative of Ondo South. At that time, no one blamed or criticised the late Rotimi Akeredolu because Tofowomo didn’t allow the road’s condition to deteriorate further before fulfilling his legislative duties by writing and calling on FERMA, NDDC, and the Federal Ministry of Works to address the poor condition of the road. He didn’t even call on the state, being aware of his responsibilities and the oversight functions required for a federal road, which needs the attention of the federal government more than the state.
Government operates at different levels, but most times we focus solely on the executive arm, especially at the state level, and blame them even for responsibilities that are beyond their purview. What did they create FERMA for? What role did Jimoh Ibrahim play in addressing the road’s condition before he became an ambassador? What is Odimayo doing in the House of Representatives? How many letters of advocacy has he written to FERMA, NDDC, and the Federal Ministry of Works?
In the 9th Assembly, I recognise the roles played by the three senators on the Owo/Ikare/Akure roads that lead to Abuja. I also acknowledge the contributions of Senator Fadahunsi and Senator Tofowomo for the Ileoluji-Ipetumodu road leading to Osun State, as well as the advocacy efforts of Senator Akinyelure on the Futa/Ilesha express road in Akure that leads to Ibadan. No citizens even thought to call out the late Akeredolu on social media because of the effectiveness of the federal lawmakers produced in the 9th Assembly.
Let me share this takeaway: under the current arrangement introduced by the late Muhammadu Buhari, which remains in effect, state governors are required to seek approval before embarking on the rehabilitation of any federal roads; otherwise, the money spent will not be refunded to them. We must focus our attention on our elected representatives, from local government to the federal level, rather than solely on one person—the state governor. A tree cannot make a forest. Every leader must be held accountable, whether they are appointees or elected officials. Ondo State is blessed under Tinubu’s administration with three ministers and several appointees from the federal government, as well as federal lawmakers, all of whom belong to the same party as the president. Therefore, I do not see why Lucky Aiyedatiwa alone should be held accountable for government failures, especially on matters outside his jurisdiction.
According to the Nigerian Constitution, federal roads are the sole responsibility of the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Works and agencies like FERMA. Part of the legislative duties of a federal lawmaker is to act as the primary advocate and lobbyist for their constituency. Sadly, in Ondo South, it is citizens on social media who are doing the jobs of our representatives.
Although I share the sentiment that state governors are the most powerful local facilitators due to the considerable influence they wield even though they do not own federal roads or control them. So, while we call on the governor to act swiftly, let’s question our elected federal government officials about what efforts they have made to bring this issue to the attention of the federal government and its relevant agencies. It’s obvious from the ongoing development in the Southwest that the president is very interested in anything that affects the Southwest states. We also must drag all the federal government representatives from Ondo South to also do their job. Let’s stop deceiving ourselves that everything is caused by Aiyedatiwa.
While some critics are genuine, permit me to say that a few individuals blaming Aiyedatiwa on this issue everyday are only catching cruise. They are playing politics with our emotions ahead of 2028 governorship elections in the state. I say this because they are very good at leveraging on anything that can impact the image of the governor to advance their 2028 campaign. You people should be calming down pls. When we get to the bridge, we will cross it. The anus will open when it is time to defecate.
Yesterday, an aide to the governor, who wished to remain anonymous, stated in an interview with one of our correspondents at Starnews NG that the state government has done the necessary groundwork and is now waiting for the federal government’s concurrence to begin work on the road. Despite this, I urge all representatives of the federal government in Ondo South to wake up from their slumber and make a meaningful impact for the sake of posterity.
To all of you who said I refuse to speak about this issue, I hope this message finds you well eventhough you may not like this. Truth is bitter, they say.
Olumide Akinrinlola is my name. E shock you?
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