NBA President, others rate Aregbesola high on good governance

Eminent Nigerians, including the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, Professor Akin Oyebode and the Director General, Office of Economic Development and Partnership, Dr Charles Akinola on Thursday, in Osogbo said Governor Rauf Aregbesola has raised the bar of good governance in Osun State and Nigeria.

They made these submissions at a colloquium held as part of the activities, commemorating the 60th birthday anniversary of Aregbesola.

Lead Speaker at the colloquium and president of the NBA, Mr Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, a university don and newspaper columnist, Professor Niyi Akinnaso, legal scholar, Prof Akin Oyebode, and the Director General of the Office of Economic Development and Partnership, Dr Charles Akinola, all summed up Aregebsola’s more than six years administration and concluded that he had  raised the bar of good governance.

In his lecture, ‎ Professor Oyebode said nothing is comparable to democracy and no right thinking Nigerian will want the military to truncate the nation’s democracy again.

He described the governor as an epitome of democracy and good governance judging from the development the state had recorded since he came to power, noting that virtue permeated Aregbesola’s transformational policies be it education ,‎ youth empowerment,‎ food ,‎ agriculture,‎ health,‎ rural development,‎ security and other social infrastructure.

Oyebode noted that what is termed the dividend of democracy is nothing other than welfare of the people which not only the primary responsibility of any government but also the acid test with which government is measured everywhere.

‎“In sum‎,‎ this was an administration that was not afraid to confront head on problems engendered by socio political transformation and which was ready,‎ willing and able to share confidences with the people that put him in office.

‎While‎ the jury is still out regarding his scorecard, even the most virulent critics‎ would agree that he has changed the Osun landscape and the rules of engagement such as to rekindle hope and confidence among the people”, he stated.

The NBA President, in his lecture, ‎said every leader must possess certain qualities for him or her to succeed among which are honesty, ‎humility,‎ forgiving spirit,‎ confidence and commitment to the cause of the people, stressing that  Aregbesola possessed all these qualities,‎ which made it possible for him to achieve what he has achieved in Osun.

Mahmoud asserted‎, “Aregbesola has demonstrated what it takes to be called a hero by his sterling performance. I commend him for obviously raising the bar of governance in the country today. I have been to Osun and I have seen the phenomenal performance.

Among speakers who delivered goodwill messages were the former Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Chief Bisi Akande; Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole; the Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; representative of the national leader of the APC Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Hon James Faleke.