Ondo Election: Jimoh, Oke disagree over security vote

7 years ago

Ondo Election: Jimoh, Oke disagree over security vote

In the build up to the November 26 governorship election in Ondo state, candidates of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olusola Oke and Jimoh Ibrahim respectively have openly disagreed over the security vote made available to governors.

They both spoke at a debate jointly organised by Channels Television, Enough Is Enough, EIE, and Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, PLAC, for the Ondo State governorship candidates ahead of Saturday’s election.

While Ibrahim described security vote as a fraud saying he would not spend government funds to protect himself while his people remained vulnerable, Oke stated that it would not be abolished, adding that he would retain the fund, but reduce the amount.

The AD candidate promised to be transparent and accountable in the administration of the security votes, explaining that “There are things the governor does on security that cannot go through the bureaucracy”.

Ibrahim, who further vowed to eradicate all forms of taxes, said; “You don’t take money from workers who are owned salaries for several months. We are going to eliminate personal income tax”.

Oke assured that in three months, citizens would begin to see changes in the economy adding that personal income tax “is statutory.”

The debate also featured Olu Agunloye of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, who stated that the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, being collected means extorting money from citizens in form of taxes without providing services.

He promised to ensure that the government provides services that would generate revenue, saying that the recession in Ondo State was as a result of corruption. “We have no business with recession,” he added

Agunloye said he would pay backlog of salaries in the first few months of taking over office, adding that his government would make the welfare of the people a priority.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate Rotimi Akeredolu did not show up for the debate as his Campaign Organization said he was “tucked in the deep riverine communities.”