— Says gov’s delivering results without funfare

By Dayo Johnson Akure

The Director General of the Asiwaju Media Team, Prince Emorioloye Owolemi, has commended governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for strengthening the security architecture of Ondo State through intelligence, prevention and proactive crime-fighting measures.

In a statement issued in Akure titled “Why Tinubu/Aiyedatiwa’s Silent Performance Deserves To Be Recognized” Owolemi also lauded the governor for running a government that is more open, accessible and inclusive.

Owolemi said one of the reasons the administration is not widely applauded is because its approach to governance is largely preventive.

“He is not waiting for crimes to happen before demonstrating that security is working. He is working to ensure that certain crimes do not happen in the first place,” Owolemi said.

“That creates a peculiar problem because people rarely celebrate tragedies that never happened.”

The Director General recalled that during the administrations of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari and the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Nigeria and Ondo State witnessed serious security challenges.

According to him, kidnappings, attacks and killings were frequent, while citizens were often compelled to mourn victims, raise ransom money, or protest insecurity.

“In Ondo State, he added, cult clashes, kidnapping and violent attacks also became major concerns.

“Today, the security environment is different in many respects. The same level of public disruption and recurring security incidents that previously dominated conversations across communities is not what citizens are experiencing today,” he said.

Owolemi noted that while insecurity has not disappeared completely, prevention, intelligence gathering, surveillance and proactive measures have stopped many incidents from becoming widespread crises.

He drew a similar parallel with the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the decision to remove fuel subsidy was a difficult but courageous step to address a long-standing structural problem.

He acknowledged the economic difficulties that followed, but argued that the accompanying investments in infrastructure and road networks running into trillions of naira should also be considered when assessing the administration.

“Many Nigerians do not celebrate a government for preventing a crisis because they never experienced the crisis,” he said.

“But if that same person becomes a victim of kidnapping and is eventually rescued by the government, he will probably appreciate the government more because he has personally experienced the danger.

“This mentality needs to change. Prevention is also the greatest achievement.”

Owolemi described Governor Aiyedatiwa’s style as quiet and results-driven, adding that the governor does not operate with the mentality of seeking excessive publicity.

“This is not a Governor who should build a road worth ₦500 million and then spend ₦1 billion advertising the road.

“The Government speaks through its projects. The Government speaks through functioning institutions. The Government speaks through safer communities.

“The Government speaks through infrastructure. The Government speaks through the accessibility of the administration to ordinary people.”

He also noted that some beneficiaries of government support still criticize the administration publicly, simply because the governor does not publicize private assistance.

Owolemi further observed a pattern where some individuals criticize every sitting administration while praising incoming ones, from Adefarati to Agagu, Mimiko, Akeredolu and now Aiyedatiwa.

“The question is, when will the cycle end? If someone has criticised virtually every administration that has come into power, perhaps the problem is not always the government. Perhaps the problem is the critic,” he said.

He stressed that while government should be criticized when necessary, such criticism should be based on facts, performance and public interest, not political frustration.

Owolemi concluded that the people of Ondo State deserve an accessible, secure, development-oriented and accountable government like that of Aiyedatiwa, and a citizenry capable of recognizing prevention as an achievement.

“If a kidnapping does not happen, that is an achievement. If a criminal attack is prevented, that is an achievement.

Owolemi said that “If communities can sleep peacefully because intelligence officers stopped a threat before it materialised, that is an achievement.

“Not every achievement comes with sirens, cameras and ceremonies. Some achievements are simply the tragedies that never happened.”