AIYEDATIWA’S FIRST 18 MONTHS: A SCORECARD OF ACHIEVEMENTS IN ONDO STATE
By Sanya Adegbenro
The scorecards of Gov Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa over the past 18 months has overwhelmed the people of Ondo State as the administration’s footprints cut across infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, security, youth and women empowerment as well as public service reform.
According to him, the Chief Press Secretary to the Ondo State governor, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan made this known yesterday during the media briefing on the activities of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa at NUJ Press centre, Akure.
The CPS Said, the central idea of Governor Aiyedatiwa administration was to put the people first, deliver projects that matter, and build a foundation for sustainable growth saying is all about “Our Ease” agenda, an agenda that focused on ease of living, ease of doing business, and ease of governance.
“substantial achievements have been recorded in these various sectors. These have been made possible with prudent financial management that has led Ondo State to recording an 82.6% reduction in its domestic debt profile, the highest percentage in the country, reflecting fiscal discipline and effective debt management strategies”, he said.
He said the achievement included the clearance of all outstanding salary arrears owed to workers and former political office holders, as well as gratuities owed to pensioners.
For better health care delivery, Prince Adeniyan said the administration prioritised healthcare by improving the remuneration of health workers to retain skilled personnel, expanding health insurance coverage to pensioners, pregnant women and other vulnerable group’s, and upgrading infrastructure and equipment in hospitals and health centres across the state. Under this administration, more than 2,000 health professionals have been recruited, while Ondo State became the first state in the South-West to implement the enhanced CONMESS and CONHESS allowances for health workers.
He said earlier this year, the State Executive Council approved a N1 billion Hospital Intervention Fund to expand and modernise healthcare facilities across the state. This is in addition to ongoing projects involving 100-bed capacity upgrades in hospitals at Ikare-Akoko, Ore and Okitipupa, as well as 50-bed capacity improvements in hospitals at Irele and Igbokoda.
“In less than two years, more than 100 health centres have been renovated. The University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH) has been equipped with a 1.5 Tesla MRI machine, a 160- slice CT scanner, 3D digital mammography equipment, 4D ultrasound machines, digital X-ray machines and other modern facilities”, he said.
He further noted that pharmaceutical-grade warehouse in Akure has also been completed to ensure a steady supply of medicines, while the Orange Health Insurance Scheme (ORANGHIS) has been expanded to cover public servants, workers in the informal sector and, for the first time, retirees and pensioners free of charge.
He said the latest Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey ranked Ondo State as the best-performing state in neonatal, infant and under-five mortality indicators, while also placing it among the states with the lowest maternal mortality ratio. These achievements have been recognized at the national level and this led to the award of Best Governor in Health Transformation bestowed on Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa by Business Times recently in Lagos.
ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE: Prince Adeniyan made it known that the administration of Governor Aiyedatiwa remains firmly committed to developing infrastructure that connects communities, improves livelihoods and positions Ondo State for sustainable economic growth. More than 200 kilometres of roads have been completed within the last year and half, while a statewide 90-kilometre road rehabilitation programme is ongoing, with five kilometres allocated to each of the 18 Local Government Areas to ensure inclusive development.
He stated, that more than ever before, the Governor had earlier flagged off the construction of the new Akure Flyover Bridge along Oyemekun-Oba Adesida Road to end decades of gridlock on that busy road at the heart of the state capital. Major urban roads in Akure, Ondo, Owo, Ikare, and Ore have been rehabilitated and fitted with solar streetlights and drainage.
He noted that first time in the state, three major intercity dualization projects are ongoing simultaneously in the three senatorial districts of the state: Akungba-Ikare Akoko in the north, Akure-Idanre in the central, and Okitipupa-Igbokoda in the south. The inherited Onyearugbulem- Irese road flyover project in Akure has been completed and commissioned, along with other road projects inherited by theadministration.
He said through RAAMP and state-funded projects, several rural roads linking farming communities to markets have been constructed and upgraded. This has cut transport costs and reduced post-harvest losses. Public facilities are being given facelifts with many government offices and institutional buildings being renovated. In the riverine communities, concrete jetties and walkways are also being constructed to improve transportation and ease of movement for residents. The first phase of this was commissioned by the governor last month while the second phase is ongoing.
EDUCATION: He highlighted the administration’s education policy has focused on teacher recruitment, infrastructure development, student support, technical and vocational education, and digital learning. More than 2,000 teachers have been recruited, comprising 1,010 teachers for public secondary schools and 1,100 teachers for primary schools saying the administration has revived and strengthened the free school shuttle initiative, with buses and boats conveying pupils to and from school daily. Student support programmes have also been expanded through increased and regular payment of scholarships and bursaries to students in tertiary institutions, payment of WAEC examination fees for public secondary school students to reduce the financial burden on parents, and the distribution of books, tablets and sports equipment to public primary and junior secondary schools across the 18 Local Government Areas.
Also, earlier this month, he said Mr. Governor increased the subventions to all tertiary institutions in the state by 60 percent, while also approving the salary agreement between the Federal Government and staff unions of universities. The administration cleared all inherited salary arrears owed to staff of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, and committed over N1 billion to the construction of the new Senate Building at the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, among several other projects.URBAN RENEWAL: Under Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, Ondo State is witnessing a wave of visible urban renewal driven by a deliberate policy to improve ease of living across the state. There have been strategic interventions in public spaces, water supply, and urban planning.The upgrade of the Fasoranti Park, with landscaping, walkways, lighting, and supporting facilities, is restoring the park as a vibrant civic and recreational space for the capital city.He stated that the first and second phases of the Light-Up project embarked upon by the administration took off with major roads in the State capital and major towns now illuminated at night. A total of about 5000 complete units of solar streetlights have already been installed.”The urban renewal initiative is further strengthened by the Akure Water Supply and Sanitation Project, a flagship component of the $223 million Nigeria Urban Water Sector Reform Programme, involving rehabilitation of waterworks, expansion of distribution networks, and modern sanitation systems, delivering reliable water to households, public institutions, and businesses”, he averred.”After decades of neglect, the Owena Dam project is receiving renewed attention under the Aiyedatiwa administration to improve water supply across the state. For the first time in decades, new water pipelines are being laid across the state, in addition to the Omi Irorun Water Scheme which has delivered more than 50 boreholes to rural communities”, he submitted.
POWER SUPPLY: He declared that, the power remains a key pillar of the OUR EASE Agenda. This administration’s strategy combines regulation, alternative energy, consumer protection, and infrastructure development while laying the foundation for state-level electricity generation. Although independent power generation is still being developed, initiatives such as Light-Up, the Lucky Light Solar Programme, the O’Datiwa Mass Metering Programme, and the establishment of a regulatory commission are already providing relief to businesses and households by reducing costs and improving electricity reliability.
“The State Executive Council recently approved a US$1.6 million, 350- kilowatt hydropower project and a 7.5-megawatt gas-fired turbine to power government facilities across the state. The administration has also commenced the distribution of transformers to communities to improve electricity supply”, he said.
AGRICULTURE: He said the Governor Aiyedatiwa’s agricultural strategy focuses on large-scale investment, food security, value-chain development and farmer support. The administration is opening up large areas of farmland, attracting private investors, ensuring EU-compliant cocoa production for international markets and constructing rural roads to facilitate the movement of farm produce. Immediate interventions, including grain distribution and OSACA programmes, are helping to address food inflation and improve farmers’ welfare.
“With more than N10 billion committed to agricultural development, the administration continues to attract investors while over 500 young people have been trained and empowered in modern agriculture. The Governor recently inaugurated the Ondo State Cocoa Revolution and \Management Board to sustain the state’s position as Nigeria’s leading cocoa producer. The State Strategic Committee on EU Deforestation- Free Regulation Compliance has also been inaugurated, while 14,000 smallholder cocoa and oil palm farmers have been profiled under the FAO GEF-7 programme across eight Local Government Areas”, he said.
INDUSTRIALISATION: He said the Governor Aiyedatiwa is driving the economic transformation of Ondo State. The administration continues to attract major investments towards the development of the Ondo Deep Sea Port, refinery, Free Trade Zone and fertiliser plant, while also supporting SMEs and agro- processing industries. The administration’s policy reforms are designed to make Ondo State an attractive investment destination where businesses can operate with confidence, thereby creating jobs and diversifying government revenue.
These efforts contributed significantly to the return of the Dangote Group to the state, with plans to establish Nigeria’s largest industrial zone in Ondo State. Several moribund industries are being revived through Public-Private Partnership concessions. The state has also signed several Memoranda of Understanding with investors, including a US$50 billion investment agreement involving Backbone Infrastructure Nigeria Limited and Sunshine Infrastructure JV, a 500,000 barrels-per-day refinery, a 1,471-hectare Free Trade Zone in Ilaje, and a US$4 billion petrochemical fertiliser and cement project”, he added.
EMPLOYMENT, YOUTH & WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: The CPS bear in mind that Aiyedatiwa administration’s job creation strategy had centred on direct public sector recruitment, skills development, and enabling private-sector employment under the OUR EASE Agenda saying, It is on record that no governor has created more direct employment opportunities for the people of the state than Governor Aiyedatiwa.
In less than two years, he said, more than 6,000 workers have been recruited into critical sectors such as education, healthcare, security and agriculture to improve service delivery and reduce unemployment.He said the administration has also implemented several skills acquisition programmes, including the O’Datiwa Skill-Up a Woman Initiative, which trained and empowered 1,000 women in tailoring, catering, ICT, and other vocational skills, complete with start-up kits. Through the One Youth, One Skill Programme, hundreds of young people have also been trained in various trades, while outstanding young entrepreneurs continue to receive government support.
“There have been interest-free loans and grants given to market women, artisans, and small business owners under the “Ondo Ease Fund.” Also, the governor had appointed more young people into government than any of his predecessors”, he declared.
WORKERS WELFARE: He said, the administration of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa had continued to prioritize the timely payment of salaries to civil servants as well as pensions and gratuities to retirees, maintaining trust and stability in the workforce. Workers now receive their salaries on or before the 25th day of every month. After clearing all inherited salary arrears of civil servants, the governor also cleared the outstanding salary arrears of former political appointees in the State. The beneficiaries are those who served under the administration of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as governor of the State between 2009 and 2017.
“The retirees are not left out of Governor Aiyedatiwa’s super deal with the Public Service. While pensioners also receive their monthly pension alongside salary payment, the government also makes deliberate monthly savings toward bulk defrayment of backlog of gratuities. Under this arrangement, this administration has successfully cleared about ten years of outstanding gratuities.””Other achievements of the Governor in this sector include the upward review and payment of hazard allowance to health workers in the State and review of salaries and entry point of Medical Doctors; implementation of tutors’ elongation of service from 35 to 40-year length of service and from 60 to 65 years of age respectively, and full implementation of the workers’ Contributory Health Insurance Scheme”, he added.
SECURITY: He stated that, Aiyedatiwa administration had adopted a multi-dimensional approach to security by strengthening the Amotekun Corps through increased recruitment, improved welfare, enhanced operational facilities and stronger collaboration with other security agencies, while taking proactive measures against kidnapping and terrorism. More than 100 operational vehicles have been distributed to security agencies to strengthen surveillance and improve response across identified flashpoints. In addition, 500 new personnel have been recruited into the Amotekun Corps, while a modern Command and Control Centre has been established and fully equipped. Today, Ondo State remains one of the most peaceful states in the country.Adeniyan concluded that with several projects at various stages of completion and new ones in the pipeline, he said the Aiyedatiwa administration remains committed to the OUR EASE mandate: a government that works and delivers for the people of Ondo State.
