By Babatunde Ayedoju
Wednesday December 27, 2023 dealt a severe blow on the good people of Ondo State and Nigerians at large as the popular ‘Mr Talk and Do’ Governor of the Sunshine State and sixth civilian Governor of the state, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, took a bow and stepped into the great beyond while on a medical vacation.
Words could hardly describe the tensed mood of everyone in the state, even as some sympathisers summoned strength to pen down their tributes to the governor whose death was seen as a colossal loss to the state, coming at a rather unfavourable time.
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State described late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as a dogged fighter who stood for equity and fairness in the buildup to the 2023 election.
While describing Governor Akeredolu, popularly known as Aketi, as a visionary leader with an unwavering dedication to his people and social justice, Governor Abiodun said, “in this time of immense grief, the people of Ondo State must unite, draw strength from their cherished memory of their late governor and resolve to honour his legacy by building upon the foundations he laid, ensuring that his vision for a better and brighter future for Ondo State lives on.”
Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ondo State, Reverend Father Anselm Ologunwa, also described Governor Akeredolu’s death as a colossal loss to the state and Nigeria as a whole. In a statement signed by the association’s Director of Information and Communication, Daisi Ajayi, Ologunwa said that Aketi was a great fighter of democracy, dedicated and loving father of all. While condoling with the state and immediate family of the deceased, the CAN Chairman prayed for a repose of the late governor’s soul.
The Cradle
Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu was born on July 21, 1956 in the ancient city of Owo, Ondo State to the family of late Reverend J. O. Ola Akeredolu of Owo and Lady Evang. Grace Akeredolu of Igbotu, Ese Odo local government area of Ondo State.
Education background
Arakunrin Akeredolu commenced his elementary school education at Government School, Owo before proceeding to Aquainas College, Akure, in 1968. He later attended Loyola College, Ibadan, in 1969 to complete his secondary school Education. He also went to Comprehensive High School Ayetoro for his higher Secondary School Certificate.
Aketi gained admission to the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, in 1974 where he obtained LLB in 1977, before proceeding to the Nigerian Law School for his B.L in 1978.
Aketi carved a niche for himself as a leader while in OAU where he served as Vice-President of the Students Union Government (SUG) in 1975/1976.
Aketi as a legal luminary and leader par excellence
The late Arakunrin had a flourishing legal career that began in 1978 and spanned over three decades. He was a managing partner at Olujinmi and Akeredolu, a law firm he co-founded in Ibadan with Chief Akin Olujinmi, a former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Federal Republic of Nigeria. From 1997 to 1999, Aketi was Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ondo State. During that time, he became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), precisely in 1998.
Thereafter, Arakunrin served as Chairman of Legal Aid Council (2005-2006) before emerging as President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in 2008.
Service to humanity and decorations
At various points in time and in various ways, Aketi contributed his quota to the development of humanity. Aside being the Chancellor of St Andrew’s Anglican Cathedral Church, Owo, Aketi was a member Oyo State Football association (1992-1994); Associate Member, Nigerian Red Cross society, Oyo State Branch; Patron, The Nigerian Law Society, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos; Patron, Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN); Patron, The Law Society, Faculty of Law, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko. He was also the Patron, Sports Writers association of Nigeria, Oyo State branch.
Aketi as Governor of Ondo State
As far back as November 2012, Aketi contested the Ondo State governorship seat, having emerged candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at the primary election in July 2012. Unfortunately, he lost that election to Dr Olusegun Mimiko who was the incumbent governor at that time.
Not ready to give up, Arakunrin came back in 2016 and this time won the governorship election. In October 2020, he received mandate from the good people of the Sunshine State to go for another four years and was in his office till he breathed his last on December 27, 2023.
During his tenure in office which spanned over six years, Aketi provided excellent leadership in Ondo State and beyond, having served as Chairman of both Southwest Governors Forum and Southern Governors Forum.
During this period, he made a lot of decisions and people-oriented policies that have continued to improve the lot of citizens.
Pace setting Southwest Security Network (Amotekun)
In view of the insecurity that had become endemic in Nigeria and was beginning to make life difficult for innocent Nigerians who could no longer embark on their daily businesses, Governor Akeredolu teamed up with four other southwest governors to set up the Southwest Security Network, codenamed Amotekun Corps.
The five southwest governors of Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo and Ogun set up the corps to address all forms of insecurity ravaging their territories. It was launched in January 2020, Aketi signed the enabling law for the corps in Ondo State in March 2020 and inaugurated it five months later.
Since then, Amotekun has played complementary role with sister security agencies to promote peace and stability in Ondo and other southwest states. It has helped in no small way to settle clashes between farmers and herders, rescue victims of kidnapping while arresting the kidnappers and has also helped to provide security from time to time.
Championing Anti Open Grazing Law 2021
In view of persistent clashes across several states over the activities of herders, Southwest Governors Forum, under the leadership of Governor Akeredolu, resolved that latest by September 1, 2021, all southern states should pass a law that would ban open grazing and movement of cattle by foot.
The Law, though targeted at any group in particular as the southern governors said, obviously put an end to the menace of cattle breeders who from time to time impede human and vehicular movements and sometimes destroy crops on farmlands when grazing.
On June 5, there was an unprecedented attack on worshippers at St Francis’ Catholic Church, Owo, leading to the death of over 41 worshippers, with many others wounded. Governor Akeredolu who was at a function in Abuja at that time rushed back to the state immediately. The impact of the attack was felt by all and sundry, even as the state government swung into action to provide succor for family members of victims.
The Governor Akeredolu-led administration set up a donation management committee headed by the Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa, which saw to the donation of cash to family members of victims. The state government also continued to work with security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators were tracked and made to face the law, the result of that being the arrest of five suspects few months later, according to the Chief of Defence Staff at that time, General Lucky Irabor.
To immortalise the victims of the attack, Governor Akeredolu also embarked on the construction of a memorial park.
Revisiting of Ondo deep seaport
The Ondo State Government, during the time of Governor Olusegun Agagu in 2004, had embarked on a mission to have a seaport situated in Olokola, Ondo State. However, the project could not see the light of the day.
Fortunately, when Arakunrin Akeredolu became Governor of the State in 2017, he revisited the project and began to make moves to secure an approval from the Federal Government for the establishment of the port.
Following the emergence of an Ondo State indigene, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, as Minister of State for Transportation in 2022, the Ondo State Government pushed further for the Federal Government to take the long awaited step.
Finally, in May 2023, the Buhari administration grant the long awaited approval, indicating that the Ondo seaport was good to go. The deep seaport which is an answer to the prayer of many years has been projected to boost the economy of Ondo State by making more goods available, creating jobs for the teeming population of unemployed citizens and help more small scale businesses to spring up, while also reducing the pressure on the Lagos seaport.
Ondo LCDAs
It is a known fact that there are 774 local government areas in Nigeria and all of them are written in the 1999 constitution. That makes it practica*lly impossible for any state government to establish a new local government unless the constitution is amended. Therefore, to further bring governance closer to the grassroots, southwest states, beginning with Lagos during the tenure of Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have opted to create Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
In March 2019, Governor Akeredolu inaugurated an 11-man committee to work on the creation of LCDAs in Ondo State. Finally, in July this year, the state government proposed the creation of 33 new LCDAs, to bring the total number of local councils in Ondo State to 51, since there are 18 local government areas already. The governor sent a bill to the House of Assembly to that effect.
Having completed its assignment, including a public hearing for stakeholders from affected areas, the House forwarded the bill back to the governor who signed it into law in September.
Upgrade of traditional rulers
On January 30, 2015, Governor Olusegun Mimiko instituted the Justice CET Ajama Judicial Commission of Enquiry on Chieftaincy Matters to attend to the recognition, adjustment, upgrade and elevation of chieftaincy stools in Ondo State.
On January 12, 2022, at the State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting, Governor Akeredolu set up a six-man committee to review the recommendations of the Ajama Panel. The committee review the recommendations and on August 24, 2022 issued a white paper settling 51 disputed chieftaincy stools across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State. The committee also recommended the elevation of about 42 obas from Grade C to Grade B, with a few others moved from Grade B to Grade A.
Sunset
In July, 2023, Governor Akeredolu wrote a letter to the Ondo State House of Assembly, notifying the House of his intention to embark on a medical vacation outside the country. He transmitted power to his deputy, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who was to serve as Acting Governor in his absence.
Two months later, Governor Akeredolu returned from the medical vacation but stayed in Ibadan from where he administered the affairs of the state. At that time, some dust gathered about conflict between him and his deputy with several unverified information flying around about the governor’s state of health and his relationship with the deputy governor.
There was also news of the State House of Assembly seeking to impeach the deputy governor who sought a court ruling to stop such a process. The Federal Government intervened to nip the crisis in the bud, urging both sides to sheathe their swords and allow peace reign.
In December, the governor wrote another letter to the House of Assembly notifying them of his intention to go for another medical vacation with his deputy serving as Acting Governor in his absence. Then came the news on Wednesday December 27, 2023, that the governor had taken his final bow and gone the way of all mankind.
Governor Akeredolu was married to Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu and survived by four children. One of them was Engineer Babajide Akeredolu, the Director of Performance and Project Monitoring Unit in his father’s cabinet.
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