Fidelis David in Akure
The Secretary-General of Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, and a governorship aspirant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State, Mr Sola Ebiseni, yesterday said the state doesn’t need a governor who’s horizon has never transcend the coastal state.
Ebiseni, a lawyer and former Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources in the state, stated this in Akure at an interactive session with Association of Retired Permanent Secretaries and Retired Senior Civil Servants in the state.
The PDP aspirant said his candidacy represents a beacon of light in a darkness, a symbol of resilience in the face of adversity, and a promise of a brighter future for the people of Ondo State.The PDP chieftain who said his political pedigree is unmatched, with a vast reservoir of experience and achievements to his name stressed that he enormously has comparative advantage in the knowledge of the state in the area of oil and gas, forestry resources, economic crops, solid minerals among others which could bring succour and relief to the people of the state.
According to him, “From serving as an elected local government chairman to being a commissioner three times in the strategic Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources gives me the opportunity to know all the mineral resources available in the state. The best tiles we have from this country is from Supare in Akoko.
“Everybody says because mineral resources is in the exclusive list, it can’t be taped. No! It’s only a lazy governor that will tell you that. Off course minerals are in the exclusive list but dealing with those minerals is not on the exclusive list. All the governor needs to do is to look for right investors and that will prompt the FG to give license. You can always approach the federal government for license when you have the right investors.
“It is largely believed that oil was first discovered in Nigeria in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State in 1956 but the fact remains that oil was first discovered in Ondo State in 1908. We started that agitation till 1991 when I was the chairman of Ilaje LGA and that earned Ondo State an oil-producing state. We did that during our own time. The benefit of Ondo State being an oil producing state today is enormous.
The PDP aspirant said quality and affordable education and health services, including the Mother and Child hospitals, will be fairly extended across zones in the state if I am elected.
“I am a product of government who gave priority to education. We built mega schools, we built hospitals, we provided free shuttle buses for students but when the APC government came, they abandoned it until recently when they returned it. They do not even have the decency of repainting it.
“So, we are going to start from where we stopped. We are going to give you a social welfarist programmes of government. Progressivism is not by name but action. It is from the programmes of government that you will know if it is a progressive or not.
“When we were there, for six consecutive years, Akure was declared as the cleanest capital in the Southwest. Can you say that today? So, we are not coming to tell you what we do not know, we are coming to tell you that we’ve done it before and we’re going to do it better than before.”
Ebiseni, who was a delegate at the 2014 National Conference, added that he has a comparative advantage in the knowledge of the state and the geopolitical distribution of its natural resources compared to other candidates vying for the seat.
In his remark, the President, Association of Retired Civil Servants in Ondo State, Mr. Bajowa Enoch, wished the PDP aspirant success in his political aspiration re-echoed that the group took a decision as elder statesmen and women who have seen it all, to interact and identify the capability of all aspirants who want to lead the state.
“We thank you for honouring our invitation and wish you success in your aspiration as we urge you to keep to your promises when elected,” Enoch said.
