The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has said that the former Deputy governor of the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore, and his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lack the moral and political integrity to fault his government achievements.
The governor held that the legacies that he is leaving behind in the state surpasses what previous administrations in the state especially the seven and a half years disaster the PDP meted on the state.
Aregbesola made the statement while addressing a gathering during a New Year party organised by the leadership of Yoruba Patriots Movement (YPM) in Ila-Orangun, Ila Local Government Area of the state.
He said the state under his watch has in the last seven years witnessed tremendous turnarounds, compared to what he met on ground on assumption of office seven years ago.
The Governor, responding to a statement credited to Senator Iyiola Omisore that his administration has failed the people of the State, stated that Osun was almost run aground when Omisore and PDP government were in power.
Aregbesola berated Omisore for being unabashed in spite of the obvious gross incompetence of his party that rendered Osun to deplorable condition, saying it is unfortunate that a questionable personality like him could still go ahead to fault a government that had revived the already comatose system.
He challenged Omisore and other PDP loyalists to come out and tell the whole world the achievement recorded when they were in government in the state.
Aregbesola expressed displeasure on what he described as ‘incompetency and bad governance’ the seven and a half years of PDP administration in the state, saying Osun would have turned to a state of pride among the comity of states if not backwardly governed by the PDP.
The governor also attributed the seven and a half years of the PDP rule in the state as a ‘complete waste’, noting that Osun would have collapsed if not being rescued by God through him.
He described the circumstances of his emergence as ‘necessity’ saying he came to government at a time the people of the state not only needed drastic change but good governance.
Aregbesola called on members of the opposition parties, particularly those castigating his government unjustly, to come to the public and defend what PDP achieve while in government.
According to him, it is not a doubt that 16 years of PDP rule in Nigeria is a complete waste. PDP ruled Osun for seven and a half years and nothing tangible in terms of development could be traced.
“I am not surprised that a failed politician in person of former Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Iyiola Omisore can castigate our administration in spite of his failure while in the Senate.
“One needs not be told before knowing the fact that he (Omisore) did nothing while in the Senate to support the state as the state was abysmally governed and misruled for seven and a half years that PDP ruled.
“The statement credited to him (Omisore) showed his gross administrative incompetence and lack of understanding of what good governance is all about because he is supposed to ask himself what he did while he was in government.
“He (Omisore) was in the Senate for good eight years and he couldn’t help to facilitate the construction of Ilesa to Ife road through Osu town.
“He was in the Senate and nothing was done through him to support the growth and development of the state, rather his party bastardized the economy and left our people in abject poverty.
“The economy of the state was in a total shambles while the state was retrogressively backward in terms of the basic infrastructure development which our government has addressed.
“I challenge him (Omisore) and any other member of the opposition to come out and tell the whole world what they did to support the state while PDP as a political party was in government for seven and a half years.
“It is still fresh in the memories of our people that PDP’s government failed Nigerians and it was due to their failure that our great party, All Progressives Congress emerged”, Aregbesola added.
Governor Aregbesola charged members of the opposition parties in the state to always jettison sentimental politics and live by realities.
He described N500 billion debt allegation as total falsehood, saying no right thinking individual will believe that a state like Osun could be given N500 billion as loan.
”I am unperturbed that those against us are the most shameless set of people who couldn’t justify the circumstances of their existence. They failed to remove the log of wood in their eyes but are quick in wanting to clear dust from others’ faces.
“They castigated us for no just cause. Some were claiming that we borrowed N500 billion which is highly impossible for a state like us to borrow. I wonder how a state like Osun will be given such huge money. Do we even have the resources to do so?
“Some are still condemning our budget, describing it as a ruse. It is unfortunate that a former Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation could be so ignorant on budget fundamentals.
“He (Omisore) also condemned our intervention in education; he forgot that the matriculable students while PDP was in power were just 11 percent compare to the 46 per cent we have raised it to now.
“We can say it with confidence that we have raised the percentage of the matriculable students from 11 percent to 46 percent. Since 2010, Osun has been producing very encouraging candidates through external examinations for higher institutions.
“Osun has always been among the first three states of matriculable students in Nigeria and this can be verified through the site of National Bureau of Statistics. We have consistently maintained either first, second or third”, he stressed.
Earlier in his remarks, the former Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, commended Governor Aregbesola for being at the forefront in the promotion of unity, love and peace among the Yoruba.
He advocated for support and collaboration among Yoruba, home and abroad, saying it is time for them to form a vanguard that will help in actualizing southwest regional integration, growth and development.
”We need to promote unity, peace, love and harmony among Yoruba. The unity of Yoruba is non-negotiable. We have to return to the culture of unity, hard work and peace that we are known for”, Akande added.
Also, the Chairman of Yoruba Patriots Movement (YPM), Chief Oladosu Oladipo hailed the present administration in the state for being committed to infrastructure development.
Oladosu who had earlier conferred on Aregbesola an award of excellence for his contribution towards the growth and development of Yoruba race, said history will continue to write his name on the golden page.
“We have seen solid infrastructure that can sustain Osun for 50 years. You have built edifices in all sectors. To kill a nation, is to kill education. To promote a nation, is to promote education.
You have built rapid and systematic development in education. You are truly promoting knowledge based education”, he stated.
The Chairman of the organization said YPM envisions a powerful, responsible, value-oriented leaders and entrepreneurs that will create the much-needed highly developed society that will network all social infrastructures needed for a rapid, systematic and sustainable social, economic, cultural and political development of Yoruba nation in particular and the commonwealth of Nigeria in general.
“We established this organization to unite all Omo Oduduwa, thus fostering development partnership internally and with other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria and off-shore nation’s under the fiscal constitution based on equity, equality, love, cultural respect and progressive and all outstanding Yoruba core values of Omoluabi”, he stressed.
In his remarks, the Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Oyedotun applauded Governor Aregbesola’s developmental strides.
Oba Oyedotun said Aregbesola’s government has performed excellently well in the last seven years.
