Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has charged chairmen and members of newly inaugurated boards and commission in the state to resist all distractions in the discharge of their duties.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the boards and commission are; State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Ondo State Pool Betting and Lotteries Board (OSPBLB) and Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC).
Akeredolu while inaugurating the chairmen and members on Monday at the Cocoa Building, governor’s office in Akure also urged them to focus on the discharge of the mandates of their offices to avoid embarrassment.
The governor, who said his administration would not permit any frivolities and disgraceful acts which place the people at a disadvantage, assured that his administration will discourage all manner of acts of moral turpitude.
“While we recognise the role of politics in the management of the affairs of the people, we will continue to resist actual attempts or even the faintest suggestions that the overriding interest of the people should be subordinated to whimsies and avaricious predilections.
“We intend to discourage all manner of acts of moral turpitude to the best of our ability. there shall be no compromise in this regard.” Akeredolu noted.
The chairmen inaugurated are Mr Victor Olabimtan, SUBEB; Mr. Sam Erejuwa, OSOPADEC; and Mr. Olajide Akinroluyo, PBLB.
Akeredolu charged Olabintan to live up to expectations, while disclosing that his administration has been striving to fulfil all bilateral and multilateral obligations for the smooth running of the activities of the board.
“This administration have significantly abridged the infrastructural deficit inherited. there have been a phenomenal increase in the number of schools renovated and reconstructed.
“There is no Local Government Area which has not witnessed the activities of the government in the last five years. Our determination is to proceed until all the nooks and crannies of the state benefits from the programme of redemption.
“We employed about 1,200 teachers to augment the embarrassing deficit in the teacher-student ratio in our schools.
“We shall be directing all relevant agencies of government to submit returns on distribution of personnel as well as their ascertainable contributions. We will not tolerate any lopsided posting of teachers to favour urban centres.
“Anyone in the employ of the Board and the Teaching Service Commission must be ready to serve in any part of the state. No Senatorial Zone will be shortchanged.” he said.
Akeredolu assured that his administration would ensure that the incidence of abandoned projects was reduced significantly at the OSOPADEC.
He noted that his administration has accelerated development agenda for the OSOPADEC since it came on board, promising to charge the commission to remain focused on its mandate.
“OSOPADEC is a special Commission designed to achieve a special purpose. Its mandate is specific. Its mandate areas of Ilaje and Ese Edo LGAs require special intervention in their development because of their peculiar circumstances.
“The people who inhabit this area have been given the short end of the stick for too long. Our government has accelerated this development agenda since we came on board and we promise to charge the commission to remain focused on this mandate. We will ensure that the incidence of abandoned projects is reduced significantly.
“The Ondo State Pool Betting and Lotteries Board is revenue generating agency of our government. When we got to office in 2017, the Agency was abysmally generating between N17 million to N18 million annually. We have since reorganized the Agency and its processes simplified.
“We want to thank the last Board for its scintillating performance. It is on record that the Agency has done the yeoman’s job of moving from an annual revenue of N18 million to N245 million in year 2021. The Agency now ranks among the 20 best revenue performing agencies of the State,” Akeredolu disclosed.
The event was attended by the Deputy Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa; Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bamidele Oleyelogun; other members of the Assembly; APC Chairman in the state, Engr. Ade Adetimehin; Members of the State Executive Council led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Princess Oladunni Odu; Royal Fathers and other important dignitaries.