Mimiko doesn’t deserve second term, says ACN

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State yesterday reviewed the performance of the Labour Party (LP)-led state government in the last three years.

Speaking with reporters in Akure, the state capital, ACN State Chairman Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose described the third anniversary celebration of Governor Olusegun Mimiko as "a display of recklessness and prodigal tendencies."

She said the purpose of the third year anniversary celebration by the governor was to cajole the people into a "selfish second term ambition."

Mrs. Anifowose said: "The last three years have been an extraordinary tragedy for our state. The tragedy of dashed hopes, arrested growth and leadership mediocrity.

"The emblem of a good government is prosperity and liberty for the people. These must be customary to a good government; it is not a tall order, unless in a base society, which Ondo State is not.

"What the state citizenry wish to celebrate in their leaders are good policies, continuity and stability. Our reference point, the late Michael Adekunle Ajasin, who was the first civilian governor of Ondo State, gave all of the above.

"Chief Bamidele Olumilua, the second civilian governor, showed piety, while the third governor, the late Chief Adebayo Adefarati, showed impeccable loyalty to development and decency."

The ACN chairman said the Mimiko administration has destroyed all logistic and best practices of fiscal planning, budgeting and financial discipline.

She said it has introduced unwholesome and unethical practices, which made nonsense of the standardised practice of income management and expenditure.

Mrs. Anifowose said: "In 2009, shortly after taking over power, Mimiko embarked on inappropriate expenditures. To cover up for this breach of law, the executive and the legislature arbitrarily engaged in what was termed ‘a revised budget’.

"Such uncharitable and illegal actions covered by the revised budget include the rehabilitation of a 90-metre Ogbese-Owo Road at N178 million and the multimillion naira renovation of the Government House, among others."

She said Mimiko’s predecessor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, demonstrated "unequalled discipline and prudence" by leaving behind N38 billion in the state treasury without owing a Kobo.

Mrs. Anifowose lamented that three years into the tenure of the LP government, the state is heavily indebted to the tune of N20 billion and "has been dragged into borrowing another N50 billion, of which N27 billion has been advanced."

She said the LP administration has failed, particularly in employment and job creation, community and rural development, women development and wealth creation, commerce and industry, works, public service, infrastructure/public utilities and health.

The ACN chairman said the present administration is "impulsive and rudderless", and "believes in politicking and not service delivery".

She urged the citizenry to support the ACN in its bid to rescue the state from penury.

But the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, said the celebration of the third anniversary afforded the government an opportunity to showcase its achievements.

He said: "There are lots of projects, either completed or on-going, that majority of the people are not aware of. The stakeholders’ forum attended by distinguished personalities from all walks of life provided an avenue for people to know the correct situation of things."