The Ondo State Scholars Arena for Development Initiative has urged Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to prioritise education and other critical development needs of the state over what it described as excessive political appointments.
The organisation made the call in an open letter addressed to the governor, expressing reservations over the scale of recent appointments by the Ondo State Government.
Governor Aiyedatiwa in August approved the appointment of 1,000 aides comprising 90 Senior Special Assistants and 910 Special Assistants, alongside three Special Advisers and a commissioner nominee. The state government said the appointments were intended to strengthen governance and enhance service delivery across Ondo State. (Channels Television)
However, the Ondo State Scholars Arena for Development Initiative, an apolitical organisation focused on academic excellence and human capital development, said the scale of the appointments raised concerns about resource allocation and the government’s development priorities.
The organisation said that while appointments remained within the constitutional and administrative powers of government, public resources should be deployed with caution, particularly amid economic pressures facing citizens, businesses and families.
“The interest of Ondo State must come before the interests of politicians, party leaders and political structures,” the group said, urging the government to direct more resources towards sustainable development and pressing needs affecting residents.
A major concern raised by the organisation was the condition of some primary and secondary schools across the state.
It alleged that several school buildings were dilapidated and that some learning environments lacked basic furniture and other essential amenities needed to provide conducive conditions for teaching and learning.
The group therefore called on the Aiyedatiwa administration to make education a central priority and deliberately channel more resources towards improving learning environments for teachers and students.
The organisation stressed that its position was not a call for the cancellation of appointments already made.
Rather, it urged the governor to exercise restraint and halt further appointments of a similar scale, particularly as the administration had already announced appointments in batches.
“Appointing aides is not inherently wrong; it becomes problematic when it assumes an abnormal scale and begins to compete with more urgent developmental needs,” the organisation said.
The group also cited Lagos State as an example of a state where successive administrations, despite the state’s substantial economic base and revenue-generating capacity, had demonstrated that governance did not necessarily require an excessively large political appointment structure.
It warned that a large appointment structure could create recurrent expenditure obligations capable of limiting government’s ability to invest in education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture and youth development.
The organisation also referenced the increase in resources accruing to Ondo State, arguing that the improvement in revenue should be reflected in tangible development across the state.
It said there should be a balance between revenue growth and development outcomes, insisting that citizens should be able to see meaningful improvements in sectors that directly affect their lives.
Ondo State’s 2026 budget was initially set at about N524.41 billion, while the state government subsequently increased it to approximately N769.38 billion through a budget review announced in September. The revised budget was presented as an effort to accommodate additional developmental projects, including roads, water and healthcare infrastructure. (Ondo Budget)
The Scholars Arena said its intervention was informed by its academic and professional composition, rather than partisan political considerations.
According to the organisation, it has more than 10,000 members comprising professors, lawyers, engineers, bankers, accountants, pharmacists, academics and other professionals with local and international exposure.
“As an organisation with academic excellence at the core of its mandate, we owe the people of Ondo State a responsibility to speak whenever we believe the state’s developmental priorities require attention,” it said.
The group maintained that its intervention should not be interpreted as an attack on the Aiyedatiwa administration, describing itself as a “partner in progress” that would commend the government where it performed well and draw attention to areas where it believed improvements were required.
It consequently urged the governor to prioritise education and other pressing developmental needs, deploy public resources judiciously and avoid further large-scale political appointments.
The organisation said its ultimate demand was for Ondo State residents to derive meaningful value from the resources entrusted to the government.
The open letter was signed by Omoyoloye Oloruntimilehin Julius, General Secretary, and Odofin Oluwafemi Olusegun, Convener, Ondo State Scholars Arena for Development Initiative.
