The outgoing governor of Ondo state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, on Thursday, said he has lived up to his electoral promises for the people of the state, saying the state has “become a benchmark across the globe in several of our well-conceived and well-delivered programs.”
Mimiko who stated this during his farewell broadcast to the people of the state, said his government has been able to bridge the gap between the government and the governed, by bringing succour to the blighted lives of the poor and weak.
Speaking on the achievements of his administration in the last eight years, Mimiko said his government has been able to touch all sectors to bring smiles to the faces of the people of the state.
He listed some of the areas touched by his government to include; education, health, urban renewal, infrastructural development, road construction and agricultural development among others.
He said, “as I take my exit, I recall in modesty, some of the programs that have these past eight years set our State apart. Through the instrumentality of our intervention in infrastructure i.e. mega schools, the mainstreaming of the inspectorate institution in our secondary schools, to unprecedented intervention in our tertiary educational institutions, we have brought meaning back into education.”
“We have thereby given our children the platform once again for competitive engagement with their peers all across the world. The percentage of students with credit level passes in five (05) subjects and above, including English and Mathematics in Ondo State public secondary schools shows that students’ results in WASSCE under our administration has steadily improved. In 2016 for instance, we recorded 67.68% in credit level passes in five (05) subjects and above including English and Mathematics in WASSCE/NECO as against the 25.42% of 2009. From 33rd position on the national scale in 2009 to 7th in 2016.”
“We have done everything within our reach to help assuage the private cost of education and to also rekindle the hope of our kids in a government that has orientation for service. That perhaps is responsible for the fact that the regime of fees in all Ondo State owned Tertiary Institutions remained the most affordable under our administration,” Mimiko reiterated.
“With a bouquet of programs and initiatives, not the least of which are our Abiye Safe Motherhood program, Agbebiye program, the chain of medical care initiatives encapsulated in the Medical Village, and on top of which sits the relatively novel University of Medical Sciences.”
“Our health care program has undoubtedly enhanced the quality of lives of our people, rich and poor. It has also turned our State into a medical tourist destination for which we continue to receive compliments from the world over.”
He said further, “For eight years, we deployed an Urban Renewal paradigm that is virtually a repudiation of the ‘trickle-down-theory.’ We renewed our markets and our motor parks. We built over forty (40) neighbourhood markets across the state.”
“In Ore alone, we set out to build a 1000-capacity trailer park. The first phase for 300 trailers has been completed. On the whole, our urban renewal program was good enough to attract an award from the UN Habitat in 2012.”
“The testimonies of our urban renewal efforts are evident in the successful completion of a new Akure-Ondo axis Motor Park, construction of an ultra-modern Auto-mart, beautification of our towns, reconstruction and dualisation of strategic roads, while road side slums and ghettos have been transformed into beautiful greenery and scenery.
In agriculture, our desire to have our educated youths back on the farm was canalized through our four Agro-business villages, located at Epe, Isuada, Auga and Ore. Our Cocoa Revolution program continues to post impressive results, as the attention to the average farmer in Ondo State remains unprecedented in its impact.”
The outgoing governor then said, despite the feats recorded by his administration, he also identified some challenges faced by his government, and frowned over his inability to pay salaries as at when due at the tail end of his administration.
Mimiko however called for support for the incoming administration to move the state to a greater height, saying, “What remains for me is to enjoin you, in the name of God, and for the good of our State, to extend your full support to our incoming Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu. It is imperative we do this so as to keep our State firmly on the path of peace and progress on which it has been for the past eight years.”
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