- As League Of Imams And Alfas Endorses Him
Femi Ogbonnikan In Abeokuta
Ogun State Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Prince Dapo Abiodun, has promised that if elected, he will run a transparent, accountable and participatory government that will welcome input from the people of the state on how to better engender better living conditions.
Speaking at the weekend, Abiodun gave reasons for failure of government policies to impact the governed as non-involvement of critical stakeholders especially the people in policy formation and implementation.
Abiodun said this while addressing the Ogun State League of Imams and Alfas at the Kobiti Central Mosque Itoku, Abeokuta as part of preparations towards the flag off of his campaign.
He said that if elected governor of the state, he will run an all inclusive government that will do everything humanly possible to ensure that everybody is carried along regardless of his or her status.
“I am coming from the private sector. I am an oil and gas magnate. We will run our policy documents (manifesto) in a business-like fashion. I will not run a rigid government. We will carry everybody along in initiating and implementing the policy documents. And our approach to the implementation is not going to be a fire brigade one. We will do feasibility studies, establish what the problems of our people are and what are their needs and then, we will now come up with preferred solutions, either within a time frame of six months or a year”, said the governorship candidate.
Abiodun said his administration will appoint a Special Adviser (SA) on inter-religious affairs and Special Assistants (SA) in-charge of both Christian and Islamic Affairs to ensure fostering harmonious relationship between the two faiths even as he urged the Muslim clerics never to relent in their prayers for the continued peace and harmony in the state
“We are enjoying relative peace in Ogun State because of the harmonious relationship between the religious faiths, Christians and Muslims. You have both led by examples and this is evident in the peace and harmony we are enjoying in the state. I want to urge you to continue to pray for the sustenance of peace.
“I want to assure you, that whatever Governor Ibikunle Amosun has been doing for you, from day one in office on May 29, 2011 and to date, I will not do anything different, but rather, I would improve on them and do better.
“I am a practising Christian, likewise my running mate is a practising and a devout Muslim. And this shows that we will live up to expectations. My running mate, Mrs. Noimot Salako-Oyedele hails from Ota, in Ogun West Senatorial district. And her emergence followed a thorough and a careful selection process. She is a Muslim and from an Awori stock and majority of the Aworis constitute 80 percent Muslims of the entire populace.
“Before flagging off our campaign from one local government to another, we have decided to do the needful, by meeting the religious fathers and traditional rulers across the state to seek for your blessings and also curry your votes in the upcoming 2019 general elections. Also, we are here to shed more light on what we have in stock for the good people of Ogun State as contained in our policy documents (manifesto).
“I, Dapo Abiodun, had been picked as the Ogun State governorship flag bearer and by the grace of God and yours, I will win the upcoming governorship contest”, said Abiodun.
Meanwhile, he said, as part of bringing good governance closer to the people at the grassroots, he promised to strengthen local government by granting full autonomy to council chairmen.
“I don’t see any reason why our local government chairmen should not be allowed to carry out their statutory duties. We will allow them to construct drainages, tar street roads and others that fall within their purview as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. We would not impoverish them,” he concluded.
In his response, Wakeel of Yorubaland, Sheu Iskeel Lawal, reminded Abiodun that it was destiny that made him the APC governorship candidate, and not on merit.
According to the cleric, it was through divine intervention that God used Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC national leader) and Aremo Olusegun Osoba (former Ogun State governor) to anoint Senator Ibikunle Amosun as the preferred governorship candidate of the Action Congress (AC) in 2011, so has God used the same persons to pick Abiodun as the governorship flag bearer in the 2019 general elections.
Notable clerics in attendance at the meeting included President General, League of Imams and Alfas, Sheikh Liadi Ayinde Olowofela; Sheikh Mufutau Gbadegesin-Badejo; Sheikh Sikirulai Babalola and Sheikh Muhammad Shile Mikhail and others.
Other prominent politicians in attendance include Prince Segun Adesegun, Ayo Olubori, Chief Bode Mustapha, Tope Kuyebi, Hon Abiodun Akinlade, ex-Chief of Staff to Ogun State Government, Chief Afolabi Omoyayi, Alhaji Kunle Adesina, Yinka Odufuwa, Chief Olu Agemo, ex-Ogun State Commissioner for Sports, Mr Afolabi Afuwape, ex-Ogun SUBEB chairman, Pa Mufutau Ajibola and a host of others.
