Governor Rotimi Akeredolu gave his government a nepotistic stamp Tuesday when he appointed his son Babajide as Director General, Performance and Project Implementation Monitoring Unit (PPIMU).
Babajide’s appointment, which positions him strategically as projects czar, was announced, along with the nomination of 14 commissioners and seven special advisers
It was announced by Commissioner for information, Donald Ojogo, amid accusations by loggers that the governor had handed the management of the forest reserves to a company linked with the son.
Ojogo dismissed the latter as smear campaign, but he may find it harder to justify Babajide Akeredolu’s nepotistic appointment.
For Governor Akeredolu, the appointment presents a moral burden as it falls strictly in the mould of classic nepotism, defined as “using your power or influence to get good jobs or unfair advantages for members of your own family”.
Akeredolu had always thought about giving his son a job in his state. He first bandied the idea at the anniversary dinner to mark his third year in office.
Akeredolu brazenly said no one could stop him if he appointed his son as his chief of staff.
Many in his audience probably thought the senior lawyer was being sarcastic. Now they knew he was serious as Ondo has become a father and son fiefdom.
He didn’t appoint his son immediately, but he gave a job to a relation of his wife, a graduate who just finished her National Youth Service.
He also began to give some assignments to his chemical engineer son.
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