I am truly honoured to have been appointed by a man who enjoys God’s uncommon grace. Governor Aiyedatiwa believes whatever he is today is the Lord’s doing. This is simply my philosophy. Let me start by thanking the Governor for counting me worthy, and appointing me as his deputy.
It is an opportunity to seat with him and take decisions together that will positively influence millions of people in the state and this is a rare privilege I will never take for granted.
I have been relating with politicians and public office holders for a long time and I can tell you that His Excellency Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa is one in a million. He is amiable, very hardworking and characteristically gracious. He wants Ondo state to develop in a way that no one will be left behind. He is a boss who is always open to new ideas and will never treat people based on where they come from or their socio-economic circumstances. It’s been a fantastic experience working with him for the past 3 months, I must say.
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Excellent! The Governor has been wonderful in the execution of his projects. What gladdens my heart is that he is paying attention to key sectors and the result has been awesome. You know he was already in the system before being sworn in as governor. So he is no stranger to the system and this is why it is not difficult for him to hit the ground running. He knows where the shoe pinches and he is solving the issues one after another.
Everything, just everything he has done. Starting with appointments of state executive council members and aides, he ensured we have round pegs in round holes. In the area of healthcare, the governor has recruited some new hands and he is currently recruiting more to fill up the gap created by health workers who have relocated abroad.
There are several ongoing projects in the health sector across the state, For instance, the construction of 500 bedded wards in the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH) Ondo city is one out of many. The education system has received a boost as we are currently recruiting 2000 teachers into our public schools in Ondo state. He also paid salary arrears owed to staff of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo. He approved a grant of N1bn for the construction of Senate building at UNIMED and he also gave another grant of N1.2bn to Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology in Okitipupa to complete some projects in the University.
There are several roads being rehabilitated and constructed across the state. The governor is also paying attention to our young people in terms of capacity building and employment.
Ondo state is also very peaceful and viable for small businesses. Recently the governor approved a loan of N220m for traders, artisans and SMEs. He is doing so much at a time. We must give him kudos.
Frosty relationship? There was nothing like that. Right from day one, Governor Aiyedatiwa has had a smooth and cordial relationship with his late principal. In point of fact, they were very close and he {Akeredolu} had confidence in the Governor and he did not hide his love for him. He said it repeatedly at many public fora that Governor Aiyedatiwa will succeed him. Some of these statements or public declaration, if you prefer to call it so, were captured on tape. We have also had some of the late Governor’s close allies who testified to this. The artificial narratives of frosty relationship is simply the handiwork of mischief makers, whose mission is to halt the modest achievements being recorded by the people’s Governor, His Excellency Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
You are correct. Ninety-nine percent of those who served under late Akeredolu are back as commissioners and special advisers even chairmen of boards are still in office. This speaks volume and reinforces my earlier statement that the governor has high regard for his late boss. It was the wish of the governor that he continued with his agenda and the first thing was to bring everyone back on board, except for few who did not want to be part of the system and created another pathway for themselves.
The late Governor did not just hail from my hometown of Owo, he was my personal friend and brother, whom I supported wholeheartedly in his bid to become governor. I donated my campaign structure to him and followed him round the 18 local government areas to campaign for his re-election in 2020. I did not just do that, I also supported him financially. The records are there in the public domain for anyone to see. You know people will just look for what to say since they cannot find anything against the present vovernor.
Governor Aiyedatiwa is the man to beat. He is unarguably the best person for the job. Among all the contestants, he is the only one with governorship experience, the rest are campaigning based on what they will do but he is the only one campaigning based on what he has done, what he is currently doing and what he is going to do better. Based on his antecedents, the people of the state trust him to do more for them. He has the requisite experience and capacity to serve the people of Ondo state for another four years.
This is democracy and you just called them aspirants, meaning they are aspiring to be governor too. Everyone has the right to vote and be voted for. In politics, people do all sorts to stop the leading candidate. They cook up lies and fabricate a lot stories to make him look bad before the electorates. Unfortunately, the Governor has been waxing stronger. He never for once looked back and has clear ideas of where he wants the state to be in another four years. I am certain all the aspirants will give him their full support by the time he gets the ticket of the APC on Saturday.
Another interesting thing about the Governor is that he is a natural peacemaker who favors mediation and negotiation over use of force or coercion. He has never said anything negative about his opponents, either in public or private. He will definitely bring everyone together after the primaries and I can tell you he has all that worked out already. That is the kind of person Ondo state people want as their governor.
{Smiles} I have said this repeatedly that it was the wish of late Akeredolu that Governor Aiyedatiwa succeed him. The party faithful in the state have also demonstrated that they are with him hundred percent. You need to be present at the local government tours that Mr Governor is currently embarking on. The outpouring of love from the masses and party members is unprecedented.
I have seen a lot of bigwigs within the party who believe in him and want him to succeed.
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I can confirm to you that every lover of good things is behind Governor Aiyedatiwa and they want him to win the election so the good work can continue. He is being supported by all Ondo state people and friends of Ondo state who want the good things to continue. It will interest you that the 130 crown Obas in Ondo state endorsed the governor and in Yoruba land, our monarchs are custodians of our culture and we hold them in high esteem. These traditional rulers endorsed him based on his achievements at the grassroots and based on the fact that his emergence has brought peace to our land. This in addition to numerous endorsements by different groups within and outside the state. Governor Aiyedatiwa has started well and we need him to continue.
Expect total reconciliation, consolidation and united front. Trust me, he will kick-start aggressive development across the length and breath of Ondo state. Like I said, we are campaigning based on the achievements we have recorded. The Governor takes seriously the issue of youth unemployment. We have some youth-centred programs that we will be starting in the next few months. Our technical colleges are coming back big and better. Thousands of young unemployed youths will be trained in different areas including digital skills. We are lighting up our cities and embarking on rural electrification. The governor is not resting on his laurels. He will do much more.
The party in the state is one. That people have their preferences in terms of candidates does not mean the party in the state has issues. Though, we must give credit to the governor for sustaining the peace we have enjoyed over time. He is the Chief Security Officer of the state and has never for once said or done anything to heat up the polity. He is a peace-loving governor and very tolerant leader. No matter what you say, the governor will never react. He will just smile and move on. That is exemplary and I think everyone in the political space should emulate him.
