Ondo Poll: Jegede’s election will sustain my achievements —Mimiko

Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has  said  that the only sure way to sustain the achievements of his administration is the election of Mr Eyitayo Jegede, as  his successor.

Registering his belief that the former Attorney- General in the state, who resigned to contest the  governorship seat, will eventually succeed him irrespective of the  current challenges, he added that  the injustice done with the substitution of the name of  the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), candidate in the November 26  election,  will not stand.

According to the governor, redress has been sought by  Jegede, the PDP and other relevant stakeholders, assuring that justice will be done “because the impunity will not stand”.

Speaking with newsmen in Akure,  the Ondo State capital, on Wednesday,Mimiko said all the programmes of his government are  targeted at people, adding that any policy that does not contribute and add direct value to the people is not worth it.

“You will look through all our programmes, is it urban renewal, health, education – everything is targeted at how to ensure that we add values to the lives of our people.

“And I keep saying this, especially, those that need the help of government most, are the people at the lower wrungs of the ladder.  The people who cannot afford decent transportation for children to school, you remember the spectacle a few years ago, where we have  about five school children on Okada – afternoon and morning, those are the people that needs help.”

Stressing that his government’s  free shuttle is targeted not only at the poor but  the whole of the society, Mimiko  said that,  specifically, those that need government help are those disabled by the social arrangement in society.

“I can’t see any government coming now and say that as a matter of policy, I will stop free shuttle bus – the people will be up  in arms against them; but it is possible that they don’t have the necessary commitment and competence that will allow them to continue to run shuttle bus and is one of the reasons you must vote  Jegede.”

‘They would expect a 21st century infrastructure like we are building now and people are keyed into it and that is another factor of sustainability” which he said  only Jegede can guarrantee.

Maintaining that the substitution of Jegede’s name on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) list is a contraption   which remains a bizarre  development in the nation’s politics  and particularly, in the body polity of Ondo State, Mimiko, however, thanked  the people of the state for their “matured action  and attitude  of not resulting to self help  and violence.”

He  said the people who need government are  those who will continue to bleed to death from pregnancy because they can’t afford decent hospital care, adding   that  the people who need government are people who cannot afford tertiary education for their children.

Mimiko  said that  the most important sustainability factor of any programme is to have the buy-in of the people and this,  he said,  his government enjoys.