Governor’s Aide Faults Ondo Works Commissioner’s Outburst

A senior special assistant to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State on Multimedia, Mr Taiwo Gbamila, has faulted the state commissioner for Infrastructure, Public Utilities and Works, Abiola Olawoye, for allegedly disparaging the governor’s media team at a public function.

In a viral video obtained by LEADERSHIP, Gbamila branded Olawoye’s outburst as “inappropriate, divisive” and a potential spark for wider administrative turmoil.

He lamented that the gathering, packed with party leaders, senior officials and development partners, was meant to chart progress paths, not serve as a battleground for personal jabs.

“It is regrettable that a stakeholders’ meeting convened to discuss development was converted into a forum for attacking the governor’s media aides,” Gbamila fumed.

“Such conduct undermines unity and distracts from our collective responsibility to support the governor in delivering good governance,” he said.

Gbamila defended his team’s grit, noting they toil under “intense pressure and limited resources” to spotlight Aiyedatiwa’s policies and wins.

“No appointee has the moral or administrative right to publicly ridicule fellow officials who are working tirelessly,” he insisted, urging internal channels for disputes over public mudslinging,” he said.

Gbamila accused the commissioner of undermining the spirit of teamwork expected of appointees under Governor Aiyedatiwa, arguing that internal disagreements, especially those involving the governor’s media team, should be resolved privately rather than aired publicly.

He warned that persistent public criticism by cabinet members could undermine the governor’s communication strategy and distract from governance.

“When we begin to attack ourselves in public, we hand over ammunition to critics of the government and weaken the collective effort to deliver good governance,” he cautioned.

He described the alleged action as a deliberate attempt to weaken the governor’s communication machinery and embarrass the administration.

“How do you expect the media team to effectively project the programmes and achievements of the governor when funds meant for media engagement are deliberately withheld?” Gbamila queried.

He appealed to the two commissioners to retrace their steps and work towards the success of the Aiyedatiwa administration and the development of Ondo State.

Efforts to reach the Commissioners for Infrastructure and Finance were unsuccessful, as calls to their mobile phones went unanswered and no official response had been issued as of the time of filing this report.

However, some party leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the public rebuke signals growing internal tension within the administration.

They warned that unresolved disagreements among top officials, if allowed to fester, could escalate into a full-blown cabinet crisis.