Aiyedatiwa’s aide defends Ondo tricycle ambulance amid backlash

Senior Special Assistant to the Ondo State Governor on Signage and Advertisement, Yomi Oyekan, has defended the state government’s donation of a tricycle ambulance at the Federal University of Technology, Akure Teaching Hospital complex.

Oyekan, in posts shared on Facebook on Saturday, dismissed the social media backlash, describing the vehicles as a “strategic addition” rather than a replacement for conventional ambulances.

“It is quite interesting to see some critics suddenly develop selective outrage over the recent distribution of modified tricycle ambulances,” he wrote.

He maintained that the tricycles were introduced to improve access to emergency healthcare services in rural and hard-to-reach communities.

“The modified tricycle ambulances are not a replacement for standard ambulances; they are a strategic addition. They are designed specifically for hard-to-reach rural communities, riverine areas, and narrow roads where conventional ambulances struggle to access quickly,” Oyekan stated.

According to him, governance requires practical solutions suited to local realities.

“Governance requires practical solutions tailored to real terrain and real people. Ondo State deserves both conventional ambulances for highways and advanced emergencies, and agile tricycle units for interior communities,” he added.

In a follow-up post, the governor’s aide urged critics to remain calm, insisting that the initiative was driven by healthcare accessibility rather than optics.

Not every community has the luxury of wide, motorable roads for conventional ambulances.

“These modified tricycles are practical solutions for rural and hard-to-reach areas, designed to move quickly and save lives,” he wrote.

The defence comes days after Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, represented by his deputy, Olayide Adelami, commissioned a modified tricycle ambulance and a 100,000-litre water supply scheme at FUTA Teaching Hospital complex as part of activities marking his first anniversary in office.

Despite the explanation, the initiative has continued to generate criticism across social media platforms.

On Facebook, Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore criticised the programme, writing, “An oil-producing state reduced to using a Kéké as an ambulance? Ondo is not bankrupt. Ondo is not landlocked. Ondo is not a war zone.”

On X, a user identified as Saint Geez wrote, “When they said ‘we’re upgrading healthcare,’ nobody expected Keke. Ambulance Lite.”

Another user, Dr. Strong, compared the initiative with India’s air ambulance system, stating, “Keke Ambulance in Ondo State Nigeria vs Helicopter Air Ambulance in India. It is obvious that we don’t value the sanctity of life in this country.”

Similarly, a user with the handle Peacemaker commented, “Never again should this kind of affliction befall Ondo State. An oil-producing state reduced to using a Kéké as an ambulance?”

culled from vanguard