A progressive governance anchored on the principles of government of continuity, capable of bequeathing dividends of democracy to the people of the state, was the thrust of the goodwill messages by the leadership of the All Progressives Party (APC) when the new governor, Gboyega Oyetola, was inaugurated as the governor of Osun State, yesterday.
READ ALSO: Oyetola sworn in as Osun governor
Oyetola is the 5th governor since the creation of the state by the former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, in 1991. President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said in the 2019 general elections, campaigns must focus on programmes and agenda capable of emancipating the people from hardship.
He called on Oyetola to centre his administration around the welfare of the people, especially the women and youths, to make life meaningful for them.
“Public office is a trust. You must rule with a human face and the fear of God. You must ensure all the ongoing projects are completed,” he said.
He assured the new governor of necessary support that would help him succeed during his administration.
Buhari also called on Nigerians to vote for the APC in all the elections in 2019.
He, however, urged them to conduct themselves peacefully in a manner devoid of bitterness and violence.
The president also urged candidates and their supporters to jettison hate speech and violence during the campaigns ahead of the poll for the sake of the country, and focus on programmes that would guarantee emancipation of people from hardship.
APC’s National Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said Oyetola’s emergence as governor was a continuation and testament of the party’s progressive ideology of governance, started four years ago by President Buhari.
He called on Oyetola to toe the path that had been created to engender progressive development that would put smiles on people’s faces and take the state to higher heights.
“We want you to maintain the same path of progress. We are strongly behind you. Ride on, no going back. There is no other party here in the South West,” Tinubu said.
He commended Aregbesola for toeing the same path for eight years to bring the state to where it is.
“You’ve done very well. since eight years, which is like yesterday. You earned a progressive mandate and did it for four years and renewed it for another four years. It was a welfarist and progressive programmes now handed over to another progressive governor. Thank you for walking the path and doing a good job,” Tinubu said.
In his acceptance speech, Oyetola pledged total commitment to the progress and welfare of the people of the state.
To be able to achieve this, he promised to run a people-oriented governance anchored on continuity and progressive legacies set by his predecessor, Aregbesola.
He also promised to ensure regular payment of salary, stressing that workers and pensioners’ welfare would enjoy the attention of his administration.
“The mandate will not be abused. It is a commitment. We shall forge ahead to sustain the welfare of the generality of our people,” Oyetola said.
He promised to take lessons from the sagacity, wisdom, vision, dexterity, commitments and foundations of good leadership laid by the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, Bola Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, Rauf Aregbesola and other adherents of progressive governance in order to take the state to the next level.
Oyetola, who promised to place premium on development and progress of the state, also assured his administration would focus on job creation and youth employment. He promised to create 30,000 jobs for the youths through technology-driven programmes.
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has described Oyetola as an interim governor whose legitimacy is questionable in the eyes of the public. Chairman of the party, Soji Adagunodo, in a statement, said this yesterday, in Osogbo.
“The shameful conduct of the supposed electoral umpire and security agents, especially, during the supplementary election on September 27, leaves a sour taste in the mouth of everyone with conscience and has remained a talking point in local and global political discourse,” the PDP said.