The Senior Special Assistant to the Ondo State Governor on Strategic Communications, Allen Sowore Esq., has condemned the actions of Otito Atikase, the state representative on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), for what he describes as an act of “recklessness and insubordination.”
Sowore, in a statement issued on Tuesday, criticized Atikase for purportedly issuing directives to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State. He described the move as an “overreach” and a direct challenge to the established hierarchy of governance.
Citing Section 11(1) of the NDDC Act, which establishes that the Advisory Committee of the Commission comprises the Governors of the member states, Sowore asserted that a part-time board member has no authority to dictate terms to an elected Governor.
“It is sheer recklessness and an act of unpardonable insubordination for a government official to issue warnings to the Governor, as well as the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of a state. Such actions undermine the principles of governance and the chain of authority,” Sowore stated.
The controversy has sparked concerns about internal conflicts between the state government and its representative in the NDDC, with political observers warning that such discord could impact the execution of developmental projects in Ondo State.
Attempts to get a response from Otito Atikase on the allegations proved unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
