What He Did As Governor Between 2007 & 2010
Anytime anybody talks to former Ekiti governor, Engr. Chief Olusegun Oni who is again running for public office he constantly tells anyone who cares to listen that all that is required to develop Ekiti State is sincere, prudent, honest and inclusive leadership.These he once demonstrated in all spheres of life as Governor of Ekiti State between 2007 and 2010. In 1235 days, (3 years, 4 months, 16 days), the Oni administration achieved the following in Ekiti:
GOVERNANCE
Audit of State and LGA accounts of preceding year was concluded and published by March of current year; Total IGR collected in THREE years was 40% more than total collected in previous EIGHT years – N9.08 Billion (in three years) as against N6.49 Billion (in the eight preceding years); Financial autonomy was guaranteed for the State House of Assembly, the Judiciary and the Local Governments;;
Chieftaincy and Culture – Traditional institution was accorded greater respect while their status was enhanced; Two-year limit placed on Regency tenure; Public Buildings; New office blocks were constructed in the Secretariat; New House of Assembly Complex was constructed; Judges quarters was constructed; Several General Hospitals were renovated; BSES studio was rebuilt to modern standard; VIP Lodges were constructed in Government House; New Governor’s Lodge was acquired in Abuja; Gratuity and Pension;
Paid all Pension and gratuity dating back to 1994 by December 31st, 2007 and from then on paid gratuity within three months after retirement; Salaries: Paid on schedule across the State and LGA – Retirees were paid on 20th; Teachers on 21st; LGA Staff on 22nd; Civil Servants on 23rd; Political Appointees on 24th; Loan: 11,690 employees benefitted between June 2007 and December 2009 (2½ years) in the amount of N3.27 billion compared to 7,295 beneficiaries between 1996 and May 2007 (over 10 years) in the amount of N696 million;
Microcredit: total of N993,191,910 was disbursed to 24,621 beneficiaries; Fajuyi Park was reconstructed and commissioned; Actively promoted Private Sector as partners in the development of the State; Enterprises such as Mutual Assurance, Tantalisers, Stanbic, Wema Bank, FCMB banks and GTB were attracted to the State.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Roads: 342 Kilometers of roads traversing all LGAs was completed between May 29, 2007 and January 2010 while 444 kilometers were work-in-progress; Water:; Awarded and executed the following contracts under the programme “Water for ALL” 22 no. contracts for the Supply and laying of Pipes/Rehabilitation (more than 280Km); 7 no. contracts for the Construction. of Booster Station and million litre Reservoir; 2 no. contracts for the Rehabilitation of Booster Station only; 2 no. contracts for the Construction of 1 million litre Reservoir only; 45 no. contracts for the Construction of (1770 units) Water Fetching Points; 2 no. contracts for the Supply and Installation of Generators (7No in all); 1 no. contracts for the Construction of 1 million litre Reservoir only.
POWER:
132/33KVA Transmission Station was completed and commission to boost State share from the National Grid; Iro-Ayeteju and Ajegunle-Ise, two new rural communities, were connected to the National Grid.
EDUCATION
Financial allocation to tertiary institutions (monthly average) more than quadrupled (390% increase) during the life of the administration; Technical and Vocational Education was given special attention with Two Technical Colleges were established, one each at Igbara-Odo andIluomoba;; Construction of Standard workshops, hostels and staff quarters in Ado, Ijero, Otun, Ikole Technical Colleges; Construction and Rehabilitation of workshop and classrooms, preparatory to accreditation of courses run in all Technical Colleges; Procurement of tools and equipment, training materials and library books; Examination Fees paid for final year students for NBC/NTC, FCTCE and Federal Labour
Trade Test Certificate Examination; School Enterprise Program launched which covered Bakery, Block Making, Cassava Processing, Chalk Production, Custard & Beverages, Nylon Packaging, Palm Kernel Processing, Poultry, Printing, Sewing, Soap Making, Textile, Interlocking Blocks in Boarding secondary schools; Scholarshipswere awarded from Secondary School to PhD level including automatic Special Scholarships forthe physically challenged; Other scholarship schemes included: Law School (automatic); Aviation and Maritime Schools; One year abroad for Foreign Language Proficiency (automatic); WAEC and NECO Registration was made free for all SSS 3 Students; Free textbooks were provided for all JSS students; Full furniture was provided to Primary, JSS, SSS and Teachers; Boarding was re-launched in secondary schools with major renovation carried out on Hostels and Dining Halls; School feeding programme(egg and chocolate beverage) was introduced and actively sustained – 52,273 JSS students and 146,955 Primary School pupils were covered; All schools were provided with fully equipped libraries; All JSS students were provided with free textbooks; Implementing the Ekiti Digital Project (EDEP), all 1,461 SS 1 students in the 22 boarding Secondary Schools were provided laptops with VSAT connection.
HEALTH
College of Medicine and University Teaching Hospital were established; A total of 147,794 persons benefitted from various Health intervention programmes ranging from Eye camp, to Surgical Festival and others. In the Health survey of 2008, Ekiti State was highly rated (comparatively) in the Health Development Index; Several Blue Health Centres were constructed to bring health closer to the people; Ekiti State Central Medical Stores was awarded the NIS ISO 9001 in 2008; A modern, state of the art, World Class Ophthalmological Hospital was commissioned.
Chief Olusegun Oni exhibits quality leadership. He is simple, disciplined, visionary, progressive-minded and a bridge-builder.
VISION FOR 2018 GUBERNATORIAL
AMBITION OF CHIEF OLUSEGUN ONI…
His experience as a former Governor is a great asset that would propel him to hit the ground running the very day he is sworn in as Governor. He will continue with the good work he had started and because of the exigencies of the present economic realities, efforts would be made to vigorously pursue intensive drive to generate revenue without tasking pupils, students or over tasking the poor. Water resources, Agriculture, Tourism and Industrialisation particularly Agri-business would be the major areas of focus to generate money. The administration which shall last for only four years will lay a solid foundation for successive administrations to build on. The following areas shall be the areas of concentration:
(i.) Restoration of credibility and trust in government; (ii.) Creation of Jobs through strong Public-Private collaboration and security guarantee – security of lives, properties and investment; (iii). Agriculture and strong support for agro-allied cottage industry; (iv.) Education and Health
EPILOGUE…
A man’s most innate need is his desire to be significant. Some pursue significance by gratifying only their own ambition, while others find it in serving God and people.
Whatever a man does should be done to the glory of God, for there is no better way to glorify our creator than to lead a people who are also God’s own creation, to better life in our little way.
To live is to serve and service is best defined by the impact it leaves behind. The longer it endures, the greater the number of its beneficiaries. It is therefore in the interest of anybody aspiring to a position of leadership to see service as a worthwhile enterprise which will inspire co-operation from every segment of the society. Only this will ensure that he/she enjoys the confidence of the people.
A leader must be steps ahead of followership especially in identifying the needs and aspirations of the people, and must equally be abreast of options available to satisfy those needs. We must help in realizing legitimate desires which includes the right to good living.
The quick attainment of this very basic condition, a fundamental entitlement of every human being, is the cardinal objective of Friends of Chief Olusegun Oni- a coalition of well-seasoned, thorough-bred, cultured, cosmopolitan and highly responsible Ekiti indigenes at home and abroad.
“We need good people to have good governance. However good the system of government, bad leaders will bring harm to their people…I have seen several societies well-governed in spite of poor system of government, because good, strong leaders were in charge”
Lee Kuam Yew.
