The acting Governor of Ondo state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Thursday, said all hands must be on deck to actualize the task of consolidating the gains of the present administration in the state.
Aiyedatiwa, in a state-wide broadcast to the people of Ondo State, acknowledged the giant strides of his boss, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, which have transformed every sector of the state.
The acting Governor said, “In all facets of our development, be it governance, security, health, education, economy, infrastructure, industrialisation and others, his footprints are foundational and will serve the state at greater heights in the future.
Above all, and as you all know, our governor has been a strong, effective, and respected voice in national development, making the Sunshine State proud for a long time. The State will forever be grateful to Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, CON, for driving our development well. We are proud of him.
“As a government, we must appreciate the sovereignty of the people that voted us into office, and we regret in no unmistakable terms the toll this whole episode had inflicted on the psyche of the People and the development of the State. Despite all these, my dear people, I come to you today, to urge you all not to relent, as you have always done, in your prayers for the quick restoration of good health and strength to our leader.
Read also Ondo assembly receives Akeredolu’s medical leave letter
“We must return quickly to the path of accelerated progress that has eluded the State in the last few months. We must excuse unnecessary distractions. We can no longer be separated in interest or divided in purpose. We must stand together until the end.
We must come back stronger and more determined to advance the welfare and security of our people, being the primary object of government as encapsulated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended. Let us build a shared future from a divided past. We owe no less to the good people of the Sunshine State.
“Bearing in mind the huge responsibility of governance, I must emphasise that the task is not one that one individual can accomplish alone. It is a gigantic task requiring inclusive engagement, focus and collective actions from the government and the governed. We, therefore, implore you all across the State, young and old, to contribute your utmost commitment, cooperation and support towards advancing the State in our development trajectory.
“May I, on this note, express our deep appreciation to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, the Senate President, His Excellency Godwin Akpabio, the National Chairman of our Party APC, His Excellency Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and other top national officials of the Party for providing succour to Ondo State at our critical time of cloud and need.
Read also Akeredolu commences another medical leave, writes Ondo assembly to transmit power to Aiyedatiwa
I extend our profound gratitude to the good people of our dear State, the speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, members of the state Executive Council, our Senators and members of the House of Representatives, members of the Ondo state the House of Assembly, the State Chairman, working committee members and leaders of our great party, the APC.
“Personally, I am confident that our democracy would be further enriched by the hard lessons learnt from this episode. For us in government, this whole experience should open a new place in our hearts; we must appreciate that the trust vested in us, as a part of the small privileged percentage of people, must be used for the best welfare of the larger percentage.
“We must rise far above the intrigues and instability of the past and roll up our sleeves to serve the people. We are only trustees of the people with whom we share a common humanity. We must, and we will exercise with utmost discretion, the privileges conferred on us by the great people of Ondo State.
Finally, and bearing in mind the foregoing, I, therefore, wish to assure you all that it is with a deep sense of humility and a heart of absolute commitment to the good of our Sunshine State that I accept the
onerous assignment, during this temporary absence of Mr. Governor, to serve you as the Acting Governor of Ondo State.
“I appeal to every member of the Government of Ondo state for your genuine support, cooperation and dedication. We need renewed unity to berth the significant and accelerated development envisioned and vigorously pursued by Mr. Governor. My good people of Ondo state, what happened in the past was a temporary delay in our democratic journey. As a government, we have recovered.”
