The latest attempt by Ayorinde Olorunda to portray Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa’s administration as a government that has lost its way is nothing more than political mischief dressed up as economic analysis.

If Olorunda genuinely wants to interrogate the finances of Ondo State, then he should bring facts, figures and verifiable evidence to the table. Calling the state’s financial management “Kenkelewu Finance” does not make it so. It only exposes the weakness of the argument.

As a former Special Assistant on Political Mobilization to the Ondo State Government, I speak from experience. I have seen government from the inside, and I understand that governance is far more complicated than the simplistic calculations being circulated by political critics.

THE OFFICE OF FINANCE UNDER OMOWUMI ISAAC DESERVES PROTECTION

Let me make this clear: the Office of the Commissioner for Finance under Hon. Omowumi Isaac should not be dragged into political mudslinging.

Hon. Omowumi Isaac has demonstrated professionalism, discipline and competence in managing one of the most demanding portfolios in government.

Finance is not about shouting figures in newspapers. It is about balancing salaries, pensions, gratuities, infrastructure, healthcare, education, tertiary institutions and numerous competing obligations within available resources.

The Ministry of Finance has a responsibility to ensure that government resources are properly managed and deployed according to priorities.

Therefore, anybody accusing the Finance Ministry of incompetence or financial recklessness should produce evidence.

Where are the figures? Where are the records? Where is the evidence of wrongdoing?

Political insults are not evidence.

I SPEAK FROM GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE

Those attacking political appointments as though Aiyedatiwa invented the practice should also refresh their memory.

During the administration of former Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Ondo State had more than 600 political appointments.

I know this because I served within government and understand how political and administrative structures operate.

Therefore, nobody should suddenly wake up and discover that political appointments are a new phenomenon because Governor Aiyedatiwa proposes to appoint aides.

If the number of aides is considered excessive, let us have an honest debate about it.

What are their responsibilities?

What value will they provide?

What will they cost the government?

Can their performance be measured?

Those are legitimate questions.

But using speculative calculations to manufacture an impression of financial recklessness is simply dishonest.

You cannot condemn today’s political appointments while conveniently forgetting yesterday’s.

AAUA STRIKE IS NOT AIYEDATIWA’S CREATION

The attempt to use the current challenges at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, to condemn the entire Aiyedatiwa administration is equally misleading.

AAUA deserves funding.

Its workers deserve good welfare.

Its students deserve a stable academic calendar.

Nobody disputes that.

But let us stop pretending that AAUA strikes began under Governor Aiyedatiwa.

They did not.

Industrial disputes and strikes have occurred at AAUA under previous administrations, including administrations that today’s critics now portray as perfect examples of good governance.

Every administration has its own challenges.

Mimiko had challenges.

Akeredolu had challenges.

Aiyedatiwa has challenges.

That is the reality of governance.

The real question is what the government is doing to solve those problems.

Under Aiyedatiwa, government has increased subventions to state-owned tertiary institutions and taken steps toward improved welfare arrangements.

If more needs to be done, let us demand more.

But converting every institutional challenge into political ammunition against the governor is not constructive criticism.

It is political opportunism.

DO NOT REWRITE ONDO STATE’S FINANCIAL HISTORY

It is also amusing to see some critics suddenly become champions of financial prudence while conveniently forgetting the controversies that surrounded financial management under previous administrations.

During the Akeredolu years, there were public controversies and allegations concerning government financial transactions, including cheque-related matters.

There were also public concerns and criticisms about the influence of Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu and Babajide Akeredolu in government affairs and spending priorities.

We do not need to turn allegations into established facts.

But neither should anybody pretend those controversies never existed.

Ondo State has a political memory.

You cannot erase yesterday’s controversies simply because you want to manufacture today’s.

If the Finance Ministry under Aiyedatiwa must be subjected to scrutiny, then previous administrations must be judged by the same standard.

Anything less is hypocrisy.

AIYEDATIWA’S RECORD CANNOT BE ERASED BY ONE ARTICLE

Governor Aiyedatiwa inherited a state with financial obligations, institutional challenges and competing demands.

Yet his administration has continued to address workers’ welfare, gratuity payments, healthcare, education, infrastructure and tertiary education.

The administration has also continued to provide increased support to state-owned tertiary institutions.

These are not newspaper theories.

They are actions that can be examined.

Critics are entitled to disagree with the government’s priorities. They are entitled to demand more.

But they are not entitled to manufacture facts.

Criticism is legitimate. Political fiction is not.

EVERY ADMINISTRATION HAS ITS OWN CHALLENGES

There has never been, and there will never be, an administration without challenges.

The Mimiko administration had challenges.

The Akeredolu administration had challenges.

The Aiyedatiwa administration has challenges.

What matters is how each government responds to those challenges.

That is why reducing the entire performance of an administration to AAUA’s current industrial dispute, a proposed number of aides or a political nickname for the Finance Ministry is intellectually lazy.

Government must be judged in its totality.

Judge the salaries paid.

Judge the gratuities settled.

Judge the projects delivered.

Judge the healthcare interventions.

Judge the education interventions.

Judge the tertiary institution support.

Judge the financial management.

And then compare the record fairly.

ENOUGH OF THE POLITICAL BLACKMAIL

Aiyedatiwa’s administration is not perfect. No serious person claims it is.

But the attempt to portray the government as financially incompetent simply because critics disagree with some of its decisions is irresponsible.

And I will particularly resist any attempt to drag the reputation of the Finance Ministry and Hon. Omowumi Isaac into this political theatre without evidence.

If there is evidence of financial misconduct, publish it. If there is none, withdraw the insinuations.

The people of Ondo State deserve serious conversations about public finance.

They do not deserve political name-calling masquerading as economic analysis.

As someone who has served in government, I understand the difficult choices involved in managing public resources.

The Finance Ministry under Hon. Omowumi Isaac deserves scrutiny, like every public institution—but it also deserves fairness, professionalism and respect.

Aiyedatiwa should be judged by his record.

Omowumi Isaac should be judged by her stewardship.

AAUA should be judged within the broader history of the institution.

Political appointments should be judged by their value and cost.

And every administration—past and present—should be judged by the same standard.

Enough of selective outrage. Enough of historical amnesia. Enough of political blackmail.

Bring facts. Bring figures. Bring evidence. Otherwise, stop insulting the intelligence of Ondo people.

Let the facts speak.

Signed:
DG Opomulero