Ondo election: Gov Akeredolu under fire over move to reduce school fees

The senior pastor of Awaiting The Second Coming Of Jesus Christ Ministry, Adewale Giwa, on Friday described the decision of the Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to reduce fees being paid at the State-owned tertiary institutions, as a “dirty trick”.

He specifically said the people of Ondo State could not be fooled again for another four years.

Governor Akeredolu had increased the tuition fees by about 200 per cent in 2018.

But the Governor has now said plans were already on to reduce the tuition fees. He said this when the National Association of Nigerian Students visited him on Wednesday.

Akeredolu informed the students that he had concluded arrangements on the reduction of the fees next week.

Reacting in a statement he personally signed and forwarded to DAILY POST, Giwa said Akeredolu would double the tuition fees if re-elected.

The cleric, however, revealed that he begged governor Akeredolu not to increase the fees in 2018 but he refused.

He said, “Governor Akeredolu can’t be trusted for second term and I want to repeat again that if re-elected, his administration will be worse than president Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

“Why must he wait till few weeks to the election before thinking of reducing the fees?

“Governor Akeredolu needs to work hard to convince the people of Ondo State; you can’t give what you don’t have.

“I don’t hate the governor, but I detest his leadership style. The governor enjoyed free education, but he is making life difficult for others.

“Why should you increase tuition fees from N25,000 per year to N150,000? It is senseless, wicked and vicious.

“Akeredolu’s government has failed in many areas. What happens to our moribund industries in the state?

“I have sent series of letters to the governor to revamp these industries but he vehemently ignored. How much will spend to resuscitate these industries compared to trying to spend billions of Nigeria to create the ones that cannot stand the test of time?”