A lawyer and APC chieftain, Mr Tolu Babaleye on Thursday insisted that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu is indisposed and wished him quick recovery.

Babaleye said, “No one is a stone and no one is a ghost, anybody can fall sick as long as he/she is a mortal. This is not a hate speech! I wish Aketi quick recovery and save return to his duty post!”

Babaleye stated this in a Statement issued in Abuja but the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Donald Ojogo faulted insinuation that the governor is sick, noting that he is not hospitalized.

Ojogo, who reiterated that Akeredolu is hale and hearty, said that the Governor would soon return to the state.

BELOW HOWEVER IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE LAWYER’S STATEMENT:

WHY IS ONDO STATE NOT REPRESENTED? WHERE IS OUR GOVERNOR AND WHO IS IN CHARGE?

If Aketi is not available, the Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi ought to have been “allowed” by the cabal to represent Ondo State in the meeting of the Nine NDDC States with President Buhari where critical decisions were taken earlier today at the Aso Rock Villa.

Governance is a team work, it is not a Sole proprietorship, it is about synergising and achieving together and that should be the spirit in Ondo State, love should be allowed to rule. If the Governor is not available, the Deputy ought to take charge.

It is now obvious that our Governor is indisposed and is taking some time off to take a good rest. Afterwards he is human.

No one is a stone and no one is a ghost, anybody can fall sick as long as he/she is a mortal. This is not a hate speech! The Deputy Governor should take charge in Ondo State pending when the Governor would be fit and proper again to assume his position.

If the handlers, (the cabal) will not allow things to work naturally, the House of Assembly should do their duty under Section 190(2) of the 1999 Constitution as Amended. The Section provides as follows:

(1) Whenever the Governor is proceeding on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, he shall transmit a written declaration to the Speaker of the House of Assembly to that effect, and until he transmits to the Speaker of the House of Assembly a written declaration to the contrary, the Deputy Governor shall perform the functions of the Governor as Acting Governor.

(2) In the event that the Governor is unable or fails to transmit the written
declaration mentioned in subsection (1) of this section within 21 days, the House of Assembly shall, by a resolution made by a simple majority of the vote of the House, mandate the Deputy Governor to perform the functions of the office of the Governor as Acting Governor, until the Governor transmits a letter to the Speaker that he is now available to resume his functions as Governor.”

That is why we have the House of Assembly, let the House save Ondo State from this vacuum and rudderlessness.

I know the Governor would have wished his Deputy to represent him but he is not aware of this big lacuna. I wish Aketi quick recovery and save return to his duty post!

TOLU BABALEYE Esq writes from Wuse Zone 5-Abuja.

REACTION BY MR DONALD OJOGO:

Ojogo said, “we have been hearing all manners of things about the governor, but I want to tell you that those are insinuations from those who don’t mean well for this state.”

He noted that, “Mr Governor went for his annual vacation. After spending 10 days from it, he came back to attend to some domestic issues and shortly after his daughter’s wedding, he proceeded for the rest of the vacation and returned on October 4, (2019). Since then he has been in Abuja to attend to many important issues, including political meetings because he does not want to be going Abuja every day.”

The information Commissioner said, “so Akeredolu is not hospitalised as it is being insinuated. His absence has not affected the governance in the state. But we don’t want to be frivolous with anybody. What they are peddling is not true. Those stories are from those who don’t mean well for this state.”