by Wándé T. Àjàyí
Towards the twilight of his administration, the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) approved and paid for the purchase of ten brand new buses each, meant to serve the Students’ community across Ondo State. The decision was hailed at the time as a deliberate investment in student mobility, safety, and welfare, a forward-looking policy that resonated with the youth constituency of the State.
When Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa was still everywhere in search of political relevance and patronage, he rode on that sentiment. He promised the Students’ community that he would ensure the buses were delivered without delay. It was a loud promise made with conviction, but like many others, it was easier made than kept.
Months rolled by. Students grew restless and eventually had to take to the streets in protest over the failure of the government to fulfill that simple promise. The official excuse then was that the company awarded the contract for the buses could not complete the process and was therefore asked to refund the money to the State Government. To the best of the information available to me, the company has since made a full refund.
But rather than bring closure, the situation took a strange and unfortunate turn. In a meeting with student leaders last week, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in his characteristic manner, turned himself once again into what I call the Editor in Chief of Governance. He didn’t just review the project, he edited it beyond recognition.
From ten brand new buses, he edited the number down to five. And from brand new, he edited the type down to used, tokunbo buses. That, sadly, is not editing for efficiency; it is a downgrade disguised as delivery.
It is, to say the least, sacrilegious. These are buses that had already been paid for in full under a government he was very much a part of. So, one must ask why subject our students to the risk of commuting in vehicles that come with obvious technical uncertainties? The tragic memories of July 13, 2012 remain fresh in our minds. That dark day should have been a permanent lesson, not a reference point we risk reliving.
Meanwhile, it is becoming a pattern, this habit of editing good plans into bad projects. If Governor Lucky must edit, then let it be an upgrade, not a downgrade. The youths of Ondo State deserve better than recycled promises and refurbished realities. Give them their 10 brand new buses or account for the money refunded.
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