Fidelis David in Akure

Former Deputy Governor of Ondo State and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2024 governorship election, Mr. Agboola Ajayi,  and the state All Progressives Congress (APC) have been at loggerheads over the recent spate of killings in the state.

This came after the  killing of another five farmers by armed herdsmen in Akure North Local Government Area of the state.

Specifically, Ajayi condemned what he termed the alleged lackadaisical attitude, aloofness and incapability of the governor in tackling kidnapping, banditry, killing and other criminalities in the state.

Ajayi noted that for the past few weeks,  Ondo State has been in the news for the very wrong reasons, the people are troubled about an emerging culture of killings, alleging that about a hundred people have been killed by criminals who invaded the state.

According to him, “Today, the people of Akure felt that they have had enough of this ugly development, they invaded the premises of the government office to express their indignation and frustration over this ridiculous development for which the APC government of Mr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has no answer.

“Let me underscore the fact that the security challenge confronting Ondo State is not an entirely new development, but governments before the present have adeptly managed this odious crisis and disallowed it to fester to the level it is today.

“While I was deputy governor of Ondo State between 2017 and 2021, working dutifully alongside my late boss, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, we developed a robust plan, and implemented actions that put banditry and criminality in check. We stopped outright the open grazing of cattle by herdsmen and sanity ruled. Unfortunately, the gains of that era has been allowed to slip away and the people are now in pains.”

He berated what he termed “the sloppiness and lethargy with which Governor Aiyedatiwa is conducting the affairs of the state,” stressing that it completely underscores his ill-preparedness and incompetence to be in the saddle.

“I wish to call the attention to my campaign manifesto where I canvassed for new thinking in solving security challenges, and urged absolute proactive measures to solving them, I equally laid emphasis on the lethargic approach of Aiyedatiwa during the governorship debate, a clip of which is attached.

“The need to take full grip of this crisis cannot be  delayed a day longer, I therefore call on the governor to seek help and take actions that will take Ondo State back from the grip of invading bandits forthwith. The government must as a matter of fact revamp Amotekun immediately and ensure the re-creation of Armed Forest Guards that will police our forests and uproot all invading criminal elements so that peace can reign in our state.

“Due fact is accorded that the governor takes over a billion naira as security vote; it is time to make the administration of this fund bear results in the interest of the state, we the people do not deserve anything less.”

However, Ondo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) through the state APC Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro  described Ajayi’s concerns as misleading and unfair.

The party, which urged the former deputy governor to stop playing politics with security, noted that the issue of insecurity is not unique to Ondo State.

The party noted that Governor Aiyedatiwa has implemented various initiatives aimed at enhancing the security architecture of Ondo State.

“Under his leadership, the Amotekun Corps has been strengthened, and the collaboration between local security agencies and community leaders has been prioritized. These efforts have been instrumental in curbing crime rates and restoring peace in affected areas. It is important to recognize that security is a shared responsibility, and the government is actively working with citizens to foster a safer environment,” he stated.

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