The Association for Good Governance Advocacy (AGGA) in Ondo State has raised concerns about the recent removal of the State Accountant-General, Mrs. Esther Oni, and her subsequent redeployment to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Sources said Governor Aiyedatiwa and the chief accountant of the state had been engaged in a prolonged disagreement over Mrs Oni’s alleged refusal to release funds to support the governor’s political ambitions.
Mrs. Oni, who hails from Ile-Oluji, was appointed as the Accountant-General of the state in 2021 by the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, following the retirement of the former state accountant-general, Mr. Laolu Akindolire, who retired after 35 years of service.
According to a statement signed by AGGA’s state coordinator, Mrs. Folakemi Benson, Governor Aiyedatiwa has appointed his kinsman, Mr. O. Orisabinone from the Ministry of Infrastructure, Land and Housing, as the acting Accountant-General of the State.
AGGA expressed concern that Governor Aiyedatiwa’s actions are setting a bad precedent in the civil service, noting that Mrs Oni’s redeployment is seen as unprecedented, as previous Accountant Generals in the state only left office upon reaching retirement age.
The group also highlighted that Governor Aiyedatiwa had previously removed the former Head of Service, Pastor Kayode Ogundele from Ikare, and replaced him with his kinsman, Bayo Philips, signalling a pattern of replacing top civil servants with individuals of his choosing.
AGGA also alleged that the ongoing restructuring in the civil service is political, adding that Aiyedatiwa is only placing his loyalists in strategic positions to enable him to have unrestricted access to state funds.
The group alleged that is aware that the governor is impulsively distributing money from the state treasury to fictitious groups to secure their endorsements.
It warned that if this trend continues, the state may find itself unable to pay salaries or fund projects shortly.
“We have seen that Governor Aiyedatiwa is willing to spend any amount from the state treasury to stay in power after 2025, and if this undue pressure and desperation on the governor’s part is not checked, the state treasury may soon be emptied.
“The governor recently gathered some Ebiras, Igbos, and Hausas at his office, claiming that they had endorsed him. We were aware of the significant costs involved before these groups agreed to attend the event.
“Desperation has driven a man who has yet to receive his party ticket to seek endorsement from fictitious groups. Are all of these groups affiliated with your political party, Mr. Governor?
“Your primary goal right now is to persuade your party members to support your ambition rather than wasting state funds on groups that cannot give you a party ticket.
“We will not be surprised if the governor asks his political advisers to gather mad men and women in the governor’s office and seek their endorsement,” the group said.
