Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ondo State government has explained that the absence of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for almost a month was occasioned by his desire to develop the state.
Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Donald Ojogo, said Akeredolu was engaged in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on issues bordering on the development of the state.
He, therefore, chastised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for criticising the governor over his vacation and subsequent absence from the state.
Akeredolu has not been in the state for almost a month and his deputy, Mr Agboola Ajayi has been acting since he went on vacation.
The main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, has queried the absence of the governor from the seat of power.
The PDP expressed displeasure on Akeredolu’s absence, stressing that the development had affected running of the state affairs.
Describing the PDP as weak opposition, Ojogo said: “These people represent totality of lies. There is no difference between the rumours they carried about that President Muhammed Buhari marrying another woman, which never happened and this.”
He accused the PDP of cooking lies to get public attention.
Ojogo, said Akeredolu went for his annual leave and had to cut short the vacation to attend to various programmes lined up for his daughter’s wedding ceremony held in Owo recently.
He added that after the wedding, the governor travelled out of the country and resumed on October 4.
“The accumulated state matters in Abuja compelled him to stay back in the federal capital to enable him settle all pending issues once and for all. This is better than shuttling between Akure and Abuja on daily basis which is not economically wise,” he stressed. The commissioner emphasised that the absence of Akeredolu had not affected the smooth running of governance in the state.
On the controversy over construction of fly-over in Ore town, Ojogo said the opposition PDP supporters should go to the Federal Ministry of Works to inquire into the cost of its construction instead of unwarranted insinuations.