I will restore local government autonomy if elected Ondo governor – APC aspirant

A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state, Chief Olayide Owolabi Adelami has vowed to prioritise the autonomy of the 18 local governments in the state if elected governor on October 10 election.

Adelami who said he has been a leading advocate of local government autonomy in the country promised to take the lead as a state governor to restore autonomy back to local government.

The aspirant disclosed this Wednesday at the APC national secretariat after receiving expression of intetest and governorship nomination forms purchased bought for him by members of the Ondo Rescue Group comprising of students, widows and market women.

He said under his watch, the financial autonomy of the local government would be granted by his government and he will serve as leading example to other state executives in Nigeria.

Adelami said “local government autonomy is a burning issue in all the states of the federation and first item on my manifesto, I am going to grant financial autonomy to local government because I believe that the third tier of governrment is the government of the grassroots.

“The statutory allocation of the local government if that money is spent on local government then the economic tempo of local government will increase. The pervasive poverty we are witnessing in Ondo State today will be a thing of the past”.

Speaking on his mission to rescue Ondo state from economic helplessness, the former Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly said, “I am coming up for a rescue mission.

Ondo State is endowed with a lot of resources after Lagos, I cannot think of any other State with resources like Ondo State but what has happened over the years, these resources have been under tapped”.

” Other leaders that have come on board at one time or the other have tried their best, even including the Governor that is there. He has tried his best but what I’m saying is that his best is not enough. I want to improve in that best. I want to take Ondo State to a higher level.

“I am prepared for this job. Over the years, I have been a technocrat in the National Assembly and usually I referred to myself as techno politician. In National Assembly I have received a lot of trainings, I have been on the sidelines watching the political space.

“Looking at Ondo State over the years, I know what and what we need to do. If Ondo people give their mandate I am going to launch out immediately, I am not going to wait for weeks or months before I begin to execute my manifesto”.

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Stressing his preference for the direct mode of election for the July 20 Ondo State governorship primary, Adelami said “I believe in transparency and fairness and I believe this can be guaranteed when we have direct primary. It gives all members opportunity to have a say on who lead them”.

Presenting the forms to the aspirant the leadership of the Ondo Rescue Group, Comrade Adewale Ogendegbe said the life style of the aspirant informed their decision in raising fund to purchase his nomination forms.

Earlier the leader of widows in the state, Mrs. Nkechi Okereke said the philanthropic gesture of many years by the aspirant was a ray of hope for all in Ondo State.