Concerned Ondo Indigenous People has registered its grievance against the non-inclusion of Ondo State indigene on the Board Of Public Complaints Commission
The National Coordinator, Mr. Charles Akinwon in a statement today while addressing the press said the group out rightly rejects in strong terms the commissioner nominee into the board of Public Complaints Commission (PCC) for Ondo State.
The statement further reads:
With fear in our heart, we send our greetings to:
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Governor of Ondo State
Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly
President of the Senate
Speaker of the House of Representative
Today, 29th July, 2024, we gather here as CONCERNED ONDO INDIGENUOUS PEOPLE (COIP) to reject out rightly and in strong terms the commissioner nominee into the board of Public Complaints Commission (PCC) for Ondo state.
Gentle men of the press, today it is imperative for me, as the National Coordinator of CONCERNED ONDO INDIGEUOUS PEOPLE, and as a concerned group to call this press conference to awaken the sleeping spirit of our Governor, HE, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, his Deputy, the Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly and particularly those we send to represent us at the National Assembly if they don’t feel concerned.
We therefore through this press conference call on the leadership of the National Assembly, particularly the President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, GCON, that the indigenes of Ondo State are not faceless people and we are by the provision of the Nigeria constitution, we are recognized as a state in the federating unit called Nigeria.
We have been here before and from the inception of Nigeria, we are intelligent and hardworking people.
By the recent pronouncement made by Godswill Akpabio on the constitution of the board of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), we (Ondo state people) have yet again been seriously stampeded and our right trampled upon by the nomination of a non-indigene as the Federal Commissioner for Ondo State.
Maybe Akpabio needs to know that we are a people identified by our culture, tradition and heritage and the gradual neglect of our people by the federal government, particularly the legislative arm of government is becoming unbearable and it will be resisted by all legitimate means possible.
However, on Wednesday, 23rd July 2024, the Senate President announced the Commissioner nominees for all the 36 states including FCT without a nominee from Ondo state, instead, he announced one Oladeinde Abolarin the immediate past Kogi commissioner as Ondo State representative on the board of PCC, this will condemn in totality and unacceptable to the good people of Ondo State.
Recall that three years ago, we were shortchanged by nomination of a non-indigene, Kehinde Adeyemi Oni as our commissioner and the effect is there for all to see. This time around, Mr. Oni was returned to his state, Kogi, Akpabio now gave us that of Kogi as Ondo representative.
Then, late Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON write against the marginalization of our state, there was much outcry that was neglect with the influence of the power that be then. Now same history wants to repeat itself with obvious person.
It will not be a surprise to us of they say it was a mistake but they should give us proof of being an Ondo person.
Mr. Senate President, we want you to know that we have more than enough competent and qualified individuals from Ondo State, who are more qualified than your nominee for our state and there is need for you to correct this error as any attempt to return Mr. Oni to Ondo state will be resisted, with every legitimate means at our disposal, we can assure you.
Maybe we should educate the Senate President on how PCC became a force today after years of neglect: our (Ondo state) son, Dist. Sen. Ayo Akinyelure, FCA woke the close to dead born of that agency with the transition of the agency to the National Assembly, giving them a strong voice in the society.
He learned his voice to them and made them stand firmly, why then do you want to pay such a man with the marginalization of his state in the scheme of the commission’s board.
We are also using this medium to charge our Senators and members of the House of Representatives to wake up to their responsibilities, fight for the unjust neglect of our state. It was surprising to us that our 3 Senators could seat comfortably where such marginalization was announced and they couldn’t speak for us, to us, this is worrisome.
They should have raised the roof for us to know they are active except they want to tell us we made mistakes by electing them to represent us. If they allow this injustice to stay, then, we will have no choice than to call them incompetent but we will know what to do next, as one of the Senators, Adegbonmire had spoken against this injustice over the weekend, however, we are still watching.
We call on the Executive Governor of Ondo state, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly to, as a matter of urgency; call the leadership of the National Assembly through their representatives to order.
They must not sleep over this matter except they agree that we don’t have competent individuals in the state to occupy those seats.
Finally, gentlemen of the Press, in case the Senate President insist on his nomination and eventually inaugurate the so called man from Kogi State, our advise to him is to stay clear from Ondo state because our people will not allow him to resume here in Akure and we will protest against this injustice.
Thank you for your time. God bless Ondo State. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Comr. Charles Akinwon,
Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
July29, 2024.
