Ondo: Protest Greets Return of Senatorial Aspirant as SSG

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

The reappointment of Taiwo Fasoranti as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) has sparked protest in Ondo State, with a cross section of the people arguing that haven resigned to pursue his senatorial ambition and lost, cannot be reappointed as SSG.

The aggrieved citizens queried whether the office of the SSG has become a political holding room to be vacated and reclaimed at will or it remains an institution of government.

It would be recalled that Fasoranti, the son of Afenifere National Leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, had in April resigned his appointment to contest the Ondo Central Senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections.

He, however, lost out in the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC), due to alleged manipulation of the winners’ list.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Chairman of Ondo Redemption Front, Ayodeji Ologun, wondered why the SSG position was left vacant for months.

“For several months, we, Ondo Redemption Front, have consistently raised concerns about the direction of governance in Ondo State.

“Unfortunately, rather than addressing these concerns, recent events have only reinforced the conclusion that the administration of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa remains trapped in a cycle of indecision, poor prioritisation, weak coordination, and governance by reaction rather than by vision.

“The reappointment of Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti as Secretary to the State Government has once again exposed the absence of strategic thinking within the administration.

“While we congratulate Dr. Fasoranti on his return, the circumstances surrounding his reappointment raise fundamental questions about the seriousness of governance in Ondo State.

“The office of the Secretary to the State Government is not a ceremonial position. It is the engine room of policy coordination and administrative efficiency”, he said.

Ologun further faulted the governor for allowing the position of SSG to remain vacant for an extended period, after Fasoranti left to pursue his senatorial ambition, thereby creating an avoidable vacuum at the highest level of government administration.

He argued that no serious government leaves such a critical office unattended for months. 

“A serious government understands that governance is a continuous process that cannot be suspended because one individual chooses to pursue political ambitions.

“The delay in filling the position reflected either a lack of urgency, a lack of available competent hands, or a lack of appreciation of the importance of institutional governance.

“Now that the same individual has returned to occupy the position, the public is left wondering whether the office belongs to the institution of government or has become a political holding room to be vacated and reclaimed at will.”

The stakeholders called on leaders across all levels in the country to ensure that government institutions are strengthened and make it stronger than individual ambitions.

Ologun, who flanked by Co-Chairman and Secretary of ORF, Kayode Mogbojuri and Adedotun Ajulo respectively, listed inadequate personnel, insufficient equipment, poor infrastructure, and weak emergency response capabilities as some of the challenges facing public hospitals.

According to him, independent assessments have already placed Ondo State among the poorest-performing states in public hospital satisfaction.

“That reality cannot be erased by press statements or public relations campaigns. The ordinary citizen seeking healthcare remains largely abandoned,” he added.