FAREWELL BROADCAST OF DR. OLUSEGUN MIMIKO, CON,
GOVERNOR OF ONDO STATE
– FEBRUARY 24 2009 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017
My Good People of Ondo State,
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose
under the
sun (Eccl. 3:1). Exactly eight (8) years ago, I stood before the
entire world to be inaugurated, as ordained by God, as
Governor of our
dear Ondo State, through the instrumentality of your votes,
love and
support, which remains unprecedented in many respects.
Truly, the
journey did not start on February 24, 2009. It commenced
much earlier.
Recall that you, the good citizens of our dear Sunshine State,
had
trooped out en mass on April 14, 2007 to vote me in as
Governor, a
feat you repeated again, against all odds on October 20,
2012 – giving
me the unique privilege to serve two terms of eight years in
office.
That we had to wait for two years, and through an
excruciating legal
battle, before the first mandate could be actualized is all
now a part
of history.
At my inauguration in 2009, I made a solemn commitment
to work for
you, the good people of Ondo State, at all times and in all
seasons. I
enunciated a program, underpinned by our campaign
manifesto, which
sought to bridge the gap between the government and the
governed;
bring succour to the blighted lives of the poor and weak
amongst us;
give a fresh hope to our women and children; upgrade our
environment;
and generally reposition our State for the good.
Today, eight years on, by the special grace of the Almighty
God, Ondo
State has not only done well, it has indeed become a
benchmark across
the globe in several of our well-conceived and well-delivered
programs. It is now time to go and turn over the baton of
state to
another governor. As I take my exit, I recall, in modesty,
some of the
programs that have these past eight years set our State
apart.
Our life enriching programmes with the acronym ‘A Caring
Heart’ was
activated to propel masses-centered approach to
governance. We
developed frameworks for setting Key Result Areas (KRA) for
each MDA,
performance objectives and standard were defined while
the activities
of MDAs were constantly measured to ensure that they
conform to the
vision, mission and objectives of government. We developed
conducive
physical working environment to enhance customer –
focused and result
– oriented governance by enthroning reforms and designing
scientific
human capital development architecture to bring out the
best in every
public servant and citizen.
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/NECOSSCE 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.
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.
Starting from Akure, our State capital, we have in eight years
been
able to change the general outlook of our cities – making
them
cleaner, more functional, and more pleasing to the eyes.
Our
International Event Centre (the Dome) stands tall today as
one of the
best of its kind in the entire country. The Centre sits on
36.054
hectares of land (360,540,000m2). With different categories
of event
halls and a total capacity of over 7000, it can host many
events
simultaneously in a world-class environment.
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)
neighborhood
markets across the state. In Ore alone, we set out to build a
1000-capacity trailer park, the first phase for 300 trailers of
which
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 Automart, 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. For
example in the
year 2016, we recorded the highest turnage of graded cocoa
in the
history of Ondo State. We added value to the production of
agricultural products, as well as its processing and
marketing.
We recognized early enough that without power, not much
could be done
in the area of industrial development. Thus, we embarked
upon an
independent 30KVA power generation project which is now
at an advanced
stage of completion. When finally delivered, it would turn
the Ore
axis into an industrial hub that would propel our State’s
industrial
development.
We have built on assets inherited from past administrations.
We have
for example, deepened our investment in the Oil and Gas
exploitation
and in a short while, we shall start earning direct income
from one of
them.
We successfully kick started the Ondo State Government’s
exclusively
owned Free Trade Zone and conducted all necessary
Environmental Impact
Assessment of the Ondo State Industrial City and procured
the required
license from the Nigeria Export processing Zones Authority
(NEPZA) in
2015 to locate the FTZ at Eruna/Ogboti in Ilaje Local
Government.
We have sought a credible investor in developing a Deep Sea
Port.
When fully developed, it will be the first Deep Sea Mining
Port in
Nigeria.
We have secured License for the exploitation of our Bitumen
deposit
and also signed Memorandum of Understanding with
notable Bitumen
exploration companies. This will not only improve our
economic base
but also provide job opportunities for our teaming Youths.
Our Chocolate Factory at Alade-Idanre is nearing
completion. The
Factory, when completed will increase the income accruable
to farmers.
Fellow citizens of Ondo State, I can go on and on to highlight
several
others of our life-impacting programs, but as direct
beneficiaries of
these programs, I am aware they need little or no
introduction to you.
Our government in the past few weeks had carried out a
comprehensive
documentation of all of these programs and projects,
including but not
limited to the 663 quick win projects; the ultra-modern
abattoir, the
eight (8) completed dual carriage ways; the over 500
kilometres of
road done across the State; the water plant in Aboto, Ilaje
Local
Government that has ensured that our people no longer live
the saying
of ‘water, water everywhere, but none to drink; the free
shuttle
scheme that transports thousands of school children on
daily basis in
the last four years; support for our artisans, etc.
Only recently, the State Government secured a Fifty Seven
Million
Dollars facility from French Development Agency for
reticulation,
transmission and distribution of portable water from Owena
Dam. When
completed, it will provide potable water to the State Capital
and many
towns and cities in the State.
It is important to note, however, for emphasis that several
of the
programs we had worked upon these past eight years may
not be physical
in nature, but are nevertheless no less important in their
significance in the overall purpose of improving the quality
of life
of our people. We, for instance, moved the NURTW away
from the culture
of violence in their leadership selection process.
To the glory of God, we made Ondo State the most peaceful
State not
just in the Niger Delta and the Southwest, but arguably
across the
entire nation. We enhanced the self-confidence of students
in our
higher institutions, which has propelled them to the top of
their
game, either in the Law School, or the debating halls across
the
country. Our women no longer cut the destitute image as
they ply their
trade having now modern, clean and inviting facilities and
stalls
built across the State for their use. Our traditional
institutions
have been accorded their rightful place in the scheme of
things as key
players in the administration of our communities. I cannot
thank the
royal fathers enough for the way they partnered with us
these past
eight years in the determination to make our State the safest
in the
nation.
We have recorded successes and also have our own
measure of
insurmountable challenges among which is the inability to
pay salaries
as at when due.
We have made friends and admirers, we have also attracted
detractors.
We have not targeted anybody or institution to witchhunt
but have been
true to our determination of ensuring that the interest of the
greatest number of people is the determinant of all the
decisions and
choices we made.
My good people of Ondo State, to everything there is a
season, so the
holy book says. It is time now for me to go, having enjoyed
the unique
privilege of serving as your Governor these past eight years.
I thank
you for your support. I thank you for believing in me, and
standing by
me through thick and thin. I value your support and
friendship at all
times. By God’s own special grace, I will continue to repay
the honor
you did me by standing up in your support at all times. I
pledge to
remain a part of our communities even outside of
government.
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, SAN. 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. May I then
commit you
all, the entire citizenry of Ondo State, our Sunshine State,
our Place
of Pride, into the safe hands of the Almighty God, on whose
shoulder
the governance of our State has rested these past eight
years. To Him
alone be all the glory.
Thank you and God bless.
Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, CON.
Governor, Ondo State.
February 23, 2017
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