The Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has promised to produce a worthy successor that will continue where ever he stops and not a political ‘wolf.’
Aregbesola made the remarks on Monday during a live state broadcast to mark his 7th year in office.
He described his emergence as governor in 2010 as a triumph over obstacles from the opposition party, saying ” we can say like Julius Caesar in his letter to the Roman Senate around 47 BC: ‘Veni Vidi Vici’, ‘I came, I saw, I conquered”.
His words, “”We will do our best to bequeath a worthy legacy successor that will continue the works we have started in the best tradition of progressive leadership. We will not leave you exposed and helpless before the wolves”.
“We were able to come to the government of Osun, in spite of the obstacles the opposition put in our way; we saw the situation of the people and their various needs; and we overcame the challenges of meeting them, as they came our way. It is a great privilege to have served you these past seven years.
” I congratulate all the functionaries of the administration (past and present), workers in the state that have been the vehicle and cutting edge instrument of governance, leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and all our supporters in the state and beyond, who believe in us and whose encouragement has kept us going at the most trying times.
“Our administration was inaugurated on November 27, 2010; the day after God-fearing judges of the Court of Appeal in Ibadan restored our mandate and ordered that we be inaugurated immediately. That was seven years ago. It was an eventful period, full of triumphs, challenges and interesting times.
“Osun is the heartland of Yoruba. Ile Ife, where the Yoruba race began, is close to the capital city in Osogbo. We saw the manifest destiny of Osun as the catalyst and driver of Yoruba renaissance and development. This is why we have taken regional integration to be very important.
“To be able to play this role, we must ourselves be on the march. Like Aristotle said, he that will move the world must first move himself.
“We realised then that the people must be conscious of themselves – their past, present and future. They must rediscover their heritage and strength and use them to engender their own development, in order to take their rightful place in Nigeria and in the black race”, he said.
The governor in the speech lauded residents of the state for their perseverance and support for his administration, as he promised them better days ahead.
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