“ARAKUNRIN AKEREDOLU IS A RARE BREED AMONG POLITICIANS IN THE SOUTHWEST” – AFENIFERE FOR COLLECTIVE TRANSFORMATION
As a socio-political movement, Afenifere For Collective Transformation led by the Director General, Prince Tolu Ajayi has been following the ongoing Public Hearing on Constitution Review across the Country so far with our focus on the southwest.
No submission has caught our attention like the submission from the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu whom was represented by his Deputy, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa among other brilliant submissions, calling for the scraping of the senate which has been the call by many groups in the Country as well.
The senate in recent time has become the retirement home for many Governors who believed that the Nigeria state must continue to take care of their well-being and that of their families for the rest of their lives despite the the huge pension packages many of them allocates to themselves with the collaboration of their State Assemblies.
Today, many senators in the senate are collecting huge pension on monthly basis and still collecting salaries and allowances as senators, yet common Nigerians that voted them into power go to bed each day on empty stomach especially in this economic hardship caused as a result of Covid 19 pandemic, banditry which has caused many farmers to abandoned their homes and farms and lots of unfavourable economic policies.
According to the Governor, “the membership of the Assembly should be part time. No member should earn allowances not known to the Revenue Mobilisation and Allocation Committee and the people they claim to serve”
“Legislators should earn under a uniform salary structure. Allowance peculiarities must not be about obscenity. The Senate should be scrapped”
“The House of Representatives too should not be unwieldy. A maximum of four representatives should come from each Zone,”
“Ministries, departments and agencies must be pruned to reflect the socio-economic realities of the moment”
“The government at the centre must divest itself of this self-inflicted heavy burden, for effective and impactful performance”
He later called for State police, resource control, judicial reforms, especially with zones having their court of appeals.
Akeredolu concluded by a return to the 1963 Republican Constitution, saying, “We would have resolved many fundamental issues of nationhood with the adoption”
For us, the above submission by Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu shows clearly that he’s not in anyway eyeing the senate upon completion of his tenure.
He has demonstrated a rare breed of leadership quality that an average Nigerian is unknown for.
He has demonstrated true patriotism against power hunger which has become the second nature of many of our leaders and politicians.
In view of this, Afenifere For Collective Transformation ACT, salute the courage, patriotism and kind-hearted nature of the Governor which is rare among his contemporaries.
We hereby declare our support for the submission and position of the governor regarding the constitution review and wish Nigeria could be blessed with many leaders of his kind.
Finally, we throw our weight behind the Governor and call on our Senators to display the same level of patriotism exhibited by Governor Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu by adopting the submissions of the Governor even though it would definitely have a negative effect on them as their present offices would be threatened.
We implore them to see this as a necessary sacrifice towards giving Nigerians a Country our generation and generations to come can be proud of.
We believe posterity would be kind to this 9th senate if this could be done.
They should just for once do this as a means of selfless service to the people and the Country at large.
