James Sowole in Abeokuta
Former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel yesterday pledged to pursue financial autonomy for local government, food subsidy and physically challenged bills if elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the February 25 general election.
Daniel, who served between 2003 and 2011, justified his renewed interests in public office again 12 years after he left office as the governor of the state, saying he had left many things in the national and state polity undone.
He made the clarification yesterday at a mega rally held in Ijebu-Ode to close his campaign for the February 25 general election.
Delivering his speech titled “The Journey Starts Again…Let us Reset the Wheel,” Daniel promised to turn around the fortunes of his people by working closely with the executive arm of government at both the state and national levels.
He stated that he had already identified key areas that strongly needed urgent legislative intervention namely local government financial autonomy, food subsidy, local content and physically challenged bill.
Although he expressed satisfaction that he served the people of the state diligently and impacted positively on their lives during his tenure as governor, he submitted that his job was not yet done.
He said: “Satisfied that we have contributed our best which impacted the lives of our people, I went on sabbatical, studying the political administration of our dear state on the sideline.
“After a careful watch of events, last year, I started taking a renewed interest in things that needed to be done. I concluded that our job is not yet done, there is obviously a lot of ground to be covered.
“Many things in our national and state polity that will address the economic health of our state and welfare of our citizens requires urgent attention. This was the reason why we decided to hit the roads once again.”
He explained that his administration’s footprints dotted all facets of human endeavours, from sports and youth development to education, health, economy and industrialisation.
Daniel said: “When we came into office, Ogun State was renowned for two things: a civil servants state with little or no industrialisation, and a necropolis where relatives come to bury their dead every weekend and depart to their different abode afterwards.
“For us, a state that shares such proximity with the largest economy in West Africa and rich historical past had no business being so underdeveloped and forgotten. So, we created the blueprint to modernise and industrialise Ogun State evenly.
“We created free trade zones to attract foreign investments, agro cargo airport to open an international frontier for our agricultural produce and industrial corridors to entice multinational companies in Lagos looking for expansion. Many of these initiatives are bearing fruits across the state.”
He said his just concluded ward-to-ward tour afforded him the opportunity to reassess and evaluate the people’s pressing and strategic needs, even as he expressed delight that the senatorial district was endowed with abundant resources.
Daniel said: “I am not oblivious of the fact that the job of the legislature is different from that of the executive; the relationship between both arms of government can only be complimentary which requires cooperation.
“Hence, my resolve to go into the Senate arm of the Nigerian National Assembly. The senate, for me, is to continue from where we stopped as the Governor of Ogun State and connect those opportunities identified with the economic prosperity of our people.”
“My pledge to you, is the commitment to ensure a more prosperous and developed Ogun East that can be a beacon of pride to us and the people of Ogun State,” he told party supporters and other stakeholders.
Daniel commended the incumbent governor of the state, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for ensuring that the dream of an agro-cargo airport he envisioned for Ogun State did not die.
He added: “To complement the international specialized airport, I will make it a duty, to request and propose for the establishment of an Aviation School in Ogun East to optimize the nearly abandoned facilities of the Federal Government Technical College around Akaka Remo.
“This is to ensure that whatever competence and skill the airport requires in terms of piloting and related fields, graduates from the Aviation School are given priority.”
“I believe with the will power and painstaking efforts we could also turn around the wheel on our vision in the area of deep sea port and petroleum refinery projects that appear to have been lost to a neighboring state.”
