Kayode Fasua in Abeokuta
The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, wednesday, toed the path of forgiveness after a lengthy legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court in order to retain his governorship mandate by pledging to forget the past and forge ahead.
Abiodun also explained that he would not bear grudges against those who challenged his victory.
In a goodwill message to the people of the state to mark the New Year, Abiodun said, “2019 was an extra-ordinary year for our dear state as we celebrated the people’s choice at the polls and congratulated ourselves on the legal victories (and) as we put behind us these events, today is an opportunity for us to reflect and remind ourselves of our responsibilities to each other.”
Abiodun’s victory had been challenged up to the Supreme Court by the Governorship Candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Mr. Adekunle Akinlade. But it ended in victory for the governor.
Akinlade, who had the fully backing of the immediate past Governor of the State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has returned to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) losing at the apex court.
He said that the state’s 2020 budget christened, “Budget of Building the State Together,” was conceived in concert with the people after inclusive town-hall meetings in the three senatorial districts.
“This budget will deliver on its promise. It is not just about the size of the budget; it is all about our commitment to ensuring its faithful implementation. Towards ensuring this, we have put in place a number of initiatives, including the establishment of Government Delivery Units (GDUs) that will ensure that government projects and programmes are not only delivered but would also be measurable and constantly evaluated,” Abiodun assured.
He also stated that his commissioner-nominees who had been cleared by the state’s House of Assemblies would soon get their respective portfolios.
Commenting on the education sector, the governor declared that the last seven months were devoted to taking the sector to a functional level. “Critical issues relating to Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology; Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and Tai Solarin College of Education have all been resolved.
“We have also embarked on the rehabilitation of our public primary and tertiary facilities across the state. We recently promoted over 10,000 teaching and non-teaching staff for the year 2016 and 2017, and have restored the payment of running costs in our schools,” the governor said.
Abiodun said his administration had similarly continued to address infrastructural and staff deficits in the health institutions by rehabilitating primary and tertiary health facilities across the state and approving the immediate recruitment of medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists and all other medical personnel for the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, and other medical facilities.
The governor assured that great resources would be devoted to road rehabilitation and construction this year, said: “Let me assure all our people that work will commence soon on the Ijebu-Ode/Epe Road, which is already captured in the 2020 Budget.”
