By; Odeyemi Samuel, Akure.
A former Chairman, National Productivity and Merit Awards, Chief Bailey Arohunmolase Wednesday led over 20,000 members of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to join All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ondo state.
Along with Chief Arohunmolase were political leaders in all the 18 Local Governments across the state under the aiges of Ondo Renaissance Group (ORG), as they expressed concern over the rate at which the state Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has abandoned those major key projects initiated by his predecessors,
The spokesperson of the group, Chief Bailey Arohunmolase said their journey to APC started about six months ago as card carrying Chieftains of PDP when they realised that the seven years of Labour Party (LP)/People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had been a waste and of no value to the yearnings of the people.
His words, ”we members of the Ondo Renaissance Group in PDP, having considered the political development of Ondo state, the South West of Nigeria and the nation at large, have collectively resolved to reconsider our membership of our erstwhile party (PDP)”.
According to him, the Dr. Olusegun Mimiko led administration has lost the focus of past leaders of the state who had contributed immensely to the development of the state as State Governors at one time or the other.
He gave those abandoned projects to include Ifon Ceramics Industry, Alpha D in Ikare Akoko, the Tomato factory at Arigidi Akoko, Awaras Dam that supposed to supply the Northern Senatorial District with water and a host of others.
He also enquired rhetorically of what happened to over N7 billion Sure-P fund in account of Local Governments and over N1.6 billion OSOPADEC fund which was allegedly withdrawn to prosecute the House of Assembly election in 2015.
Their movement to APC, Chief Bailey said, marks the total liberation of the entire people of Ondo state from ”the seemingly unbreakable chain of silence and inction into which they were thrown by leaders who knew beyond all other human beings”.
The political Group, he said, consist of politicians with indepth experience of their various constituencies and the state at large, they include party leaders, government office holders at both national and local levels.
He however recalled that the 2012 second term bid of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko would have been a mirage if not for the intervention of majority of members of the Renaissance Group.
