How Akeredolu got it wrong with Fund Raising And Disbursement Committee for Covid-19

By Tolu Babaleye

COVID-19: ONDO STATE GOVERNOR CONSTITUTES FUND RAISING AND DISBURSEMENT COMMITTEE – MY VIEW.

Following the constitution of the palliative committee put in place by his administration to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has inaugurated Fund Raising and Disbursement Committee by 12:30 pm this afternoon of 4/4/2020.

Members of the committee include:

Mr. Kayode Falowo – Chairman
Engr. Akin Odumakin – Vice Chairman
Ms.Cecilia Akintomide – Member
Mr. Segun Fagboyegun- Member
Prof. Adesegun Fatusi- Member
Mr. Babajide Akeredolu – Secretary

According to the Governor, for transparency and accountability, the committee will work with Ernest and Young as Fund Advisors, and SIAO Partners will serve as Auditors for the Fund on probono basis.

MY OBSERVATIONS:

May God punish me if I am playing politics with this issue.

I followed and listened to the Press Conference of Ondo State Governor through live update of OSRC on Facebook wherein he unveiled the Committee members for both palliative and Fund raising and inaugurated same. I have ealier on given my opinion on the the palliative committee.

Bellow are my observations about the the Fund raising and Disbursement Committee of Ondo State COVID 19.

There are 7 members of the Committee, three out of 7 of the members are from Owo. Owo is one town in Owo LG out of 18 LGs in Ondo State. a. Mr. Kayode Falowo (Chairman). b. Segun Fagboyegun and c. Babajide Akeredolu (Secretary). Both the Chairman and Secretary are from Owo.
Engr Akin Odumakin is a business partner to Ondo State Government through ONDIPA and is the one in charge of Bitumen exploration in Agbabu. He is from Ijare in Ifedore LG.

3.Ms Cecilia Akintomide is a board member of Ondo State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (ODIPA). She is from Ile-Oluji.

Prof. Adesegun Fatusi is the Acting VC of UNIMED Ondo and hoping to be appointed as substantive VC. He is from Ogun State. He is a friend of Aketi.
Babajide Akeredolu is an Ex-Corper that just finished service in Ondo State Government House in 2019. He is the son of Ondo State Governor. He is the Secretary of the Committee.
All the Committee members have link with Aketi either as political appointee, business associates, friends or from Owo.
The Traditional and Religion Leaders in Ondo State are completely left out of this Committee. I don’t know how this kind of thing can be done without these all important segment of our society.
SIAO Partners belongs to the Runsewe Family of Ijebu Ode, one of who is married to Aketi’s second daughter. Mr. Olakunle Runsewe is also an Executive Director in ONDIPA, he is a major contractor in Ondo State and he is the one that brought SIAO that is to serve as firm of Chattered Accountants to the Committee. At the moment, all Ondo State Government financial dealings are in the hands of SIAO with bogus percentage as fees till date. Nothing is probono in the service of SIAO.
The Deputy Governor, SSG, SSA on Health, Commissioners of Health and Finance who are supposed to play key roles are left out of the Committee. Office of the Commissioner of Health has been levelled with these appointments. The House of Assembly should also be involved in this Committee as they have to pass budget or re-ordered budget over this fund. It is not a personal fund.
In term of release of money, the Chairman and Secretary who are both from Owo will sign the cheque and the Governor also from Owo will sign the schedule. Where is the anticipated accountability?
No single senior Civil Servant like PS or Director is a member of the Committee and this is strange in any governmental committee of this nature. It negates financial regulations of government business. The question is who will now be the accounting officer if audit query is raised after this tenure?

I am aware that Ondo State is already receiving donations. I am privy to the information that NDDC has already disbursed monies to all the 9 States in its mandate area including Ondo State even though the money is yet to be disclosed to us. I am also aware of the UBA, NNPC and Federal Government donations. How will they manage these funds without an accounting officer in the Committee?

This is not a Committee that can be trusted. It is a huge joke.

I am not playing politics with this important issue as it involves life and death but I am more concerned with results. I am moved because of my passion and comparison with what is happening in Osun, Ogun, Ekiti and Lagos. This is a time to play less of politics.

I call on the Governor of Ondo State to disband this one sided business committee immediately and constitute a real COVID 19 Committee for Ondo State People that will cover the field and engender the confidence of the People of Ondo State to freely donate to the Fund.

I pray that COVID 19 will not be found in Ondo State. The case linked with Ondo State does not belong to Ondo State. It belongs to the Nigerian Army who has many isolation centres and covid 19 hospitals spread across Nigeria.

May God continue to protect us in Ondo State.

Long live Ondo State.

TOLU BABALEYE ESQ writes from the Office of the Citizens.