Kanyi Okeke
Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has presented two vehicles worth millions of naira to the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Samuel Aderoboye, despite owing civil servants and pensioners for several months.
A statement issued by the governor’s media aide, Richard Olajide, stated that the vehicles, a 2020 model of Prado SUV and a Toyota Hilux, were presented to Aderoboye at the government house, Alagabaka, Akure on Tuesday.
“Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has presented the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Samuel Aderoboye, a 2020 model of Prado SUV and a Toyota Hilux,” the statement read.
“The governor presented the official vehicles to the Deputy Speaker at the Government House, Alagabaka, Akure on Tuesday, January 5, 2021.
“The Deputy Speaker was accompanied to the Government House by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Bamidele Oleyelogun; majority leader, Hon. Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, and other principal officers of the House.
“Aderoboye emerged as Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly after the former occupant of the office was impeached by the majority of the lawmakers,” the statement reads.
A civil servant, who asked not to be named, described Governor Akeredolu’s action as a ‘misplacement of priority and waste of money’.
He expressed concern about the governor’s priority as the state government owes civil servants and pensioners three to five months unpaid salaries and gratuities.
“Is it not funny that a governor who claimed the state was cash strapped yesterday during our first working day meeting for the Year 2021 presented vehicles worth over N70m to just one person today?
“Considering the cost of importation, the expected profit by the supplier, those vehicles I saw today can’t be less than N100m, yet he can’t pay salaries. As we speak, we are being owed three to five months salaries, same as the pensioners. This is nothing but a waste of money,” he said.
This is coming just a few months after Governor Akeredolu was re-elected and decalred winner of the October 9, 2020 gubernatorial election in Ondo State.
