Ondo State Government spends N1.2b to recondition 284 vehicles (Photos)

Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has assured drivers in the State Public Service who manage government vehicles excellently of financial reward by the end of the year.

The governor, who gave the assurance at the unveiling ceremony of the second batch of 30 reconditioned government vehicles in Akure, the Ondo state capital, said the event was clear evidence of prudent management of resources by his administration and a way of reflecting the current financial reality of the state.

He noted that the vehicles like every other property of government were procured through payments made by taxpayers in the state, and as such would not be allowed to be mishandled.

Unlike the first batch which were all Hilux vehicles, the latest 30 which were hitherto broken down and unserviceable were all cars and delivered at a unit cost of a little above N2million, totalling N65million.

Disclosed that about N1.2 billion would be expended on the reconditioning of 284 vehicles captured for total overhauling by the company undertaking the project, Logical Ideas Limited.

Akeredolu explained that the initiative was part of the strategies of the present administration to save cost, think anew, act anew, and make productivity synonymous with the state’s public service and equally ensure effective patronage for artisans in the state.

He said through functional and well-motivated public service, and judicial use of the state resources, the state would be made better for the people.

“At inception, we met vehicles abandoned for five or six years, and we felt it could still be put to good use because things like these shouldn’t just be abandoned”, he said.

While maintaining that the reconditioned vehicles have been well upgraded to almost new, Governor Akeredolu said each vehicle had imported engines fixed with it and two years warranty is given by the company.

He, however, enjoined government drivers to properly maintain all vehicles under their care as the government is setting up a reward mechanism to reward excellent ones among them and sanction those who mishandle government vehicles.

In his welcome address, the Secretary to the State Government, Ifedayo Abegunde, described the governor as a visionary leader whose initiative has created a template of value for the good governance posture of the present administration.

The Chairman of Logical Ideas Limited, Chief Wole Okunnuga in his remarks described Arakunrin Akeredolu as a courageous administrator with ingenious acumen for transformation.

He said that the step of the governor has brought the people of Ondo State, especially artisans, into productivity as the programme has an inbuilt exposure of artisans in the state to new methods of reconditioning vehicles.

“This action has also given the state massive savings because brand new cars of these sorts cost N528 million, but the governor has brought these cars to Ondo with N65 million. Some said why not buy ‘Tokunbo’ cars, but I told them that these are better than ‘Tokunbo’ because all necessary parts are brand new, while the cars come with two years warranty on engines”. he said.

Providing insight into while the State Government ventured into the project the Commissioner for Finance,  Mr Wale Akinterinwa, described the development as value addition, adding that Arakunrin Akeredolu has been prudently utilising the little resources accruing to the state to ensure good governance in the state and save public funds.

He stressed that the reconditioned cars would go a long way at enhancing the quality of productivity by civil servants in the state by ensuring improved service delivery.

Also on behalf of the drivers in the state the Chief Technical Officer, CTO, Mr Odunayo Kolawole, assured the governor of proper use of the vehicles to serve the purpose they were meant to serve.