Femi Ogbonnikan
When Prince Dapo Abiodun assumed the mantle of leadership on May 29, 2019, as the fifth executive Governor of Ogun State, his ascendancy on the throne was seen as a “triumphal entry” into the political landscape to salvage the near collapse of governance in the Gateway State. It was a moment ushered in with high expectations and auspicious hopes of a better state for all and sundry to live in. Within the first six months in office, he has touched every sphere of human lives and etched his name in gold.
With human face, upon his assumption of office, his first major pre-occupation was his social contract with the workforce of the Ogun State Government. He pledged the prompt payment of salaries, as and when due (before the last working day of every month), with or without FAAC or JAAC, and he has sustained the tempo.
While lending credence to the social contract in his inauguration speech on May 29, 2019, before a mammoth crowd that gathered at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, the state capital, Abiodun averred, “Our workers are the prime resource of the state and an economy is only as good as its managers. Within the limit of available resources, we shall endeavour to be fair, open, just and equitable to all our workers and pensioners.
“We will ensure that their welfare is paramount and the environment in which they work is conducive to ensure their productivity.”
For the umpteenth time, Abiodun, also in his 2020 new year broadcast message to the people of the state, on January 1, restated the commitment of the present administration towards improving the lots of its workforce.
“It is also important to remember that our public service remains the engine room of government. I am proud to say that prompt payment of salaries to our ever-hardworking, diligent and committed public servants is no longer a challenge in Ogun state,” he said.
Poised to enthrone financial transparency and discipline in its accounting policy for the betterment of the state, the administration is set to lay a solid foundation for an efficient allocation of the meagre resources at its disposal to achieve optimum benefits of its citizenry. In his new year address, the Governor added, thus: “As a new Administration, we cannot afford to rest on our oars. Going forward, more attention will be paid on financial transparency, accountability, due process, efficiency and cost management. And this has engendered the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
“This is Ogun State, and we are renowned for being the first and best in different fields of human endeavour. But, we need more prayers, we need stronger discipline, increased trust, harder work, increased commitment and dedication from all of us. We are determined to leave Ogun State much better than we met it.”
However, as a mark of departure from the old order, Abiodun underscored the mutual understanding and working relations with the legislative arm of government in the speedy passage of the 2020 appropriation budget. A sum total of N449.97 billion was passed. At the signing of the budget on Tuesday, Deember 31, 2019, he expressed appreciation to the legislative arm, thus: “On the part of the executive, we affirm that our appreciation will be further underscored with the implementation of this budget. I believe that, it is indeed how we can demonstrate the appreciation of this speedy passage to the House of Assembly and the rest of the citizens of this state, by extension.
“We will ensure that this budget is implemented to the letter. We will do everything to ensure that all the assumptions that have been made, particularly in the areas of revenue generation become a reality. And we will follow through, on our vision.”
By and large, the current administration has taken giant strides in several critical sectors of the economy to correct the ills of the immediate past administration.
Abiodun has laid a solid foundation for growth and development across the nooks and crannies of the state and the wind of the positive change is blowing the stagnation and inertia that hitherto dogged progress and development in the state, thus, gradually paving ways for a new dawn of auspicious hope of a better tomorrow.
Since the inception of the current administration, it has, without doubt, made some positive steps that indicate a clear future direction that holds auspicious hope for the state and its citizenry.
Abiodun leaves no one in doubt of his resolve and commitment to adopt genuine and purposeful leadership approach to governance. This is a clear departure from the norms where most times, projects were executed without necessarily meeting the needs of the people, but were mainly executed for ulterior motives or, sometimes, serving a particular individual or, section of the state, at the expense of others.
The administration has instead, adopted an approach that ensures that the right spirit is put into governance, thereby avoiding the quest for self-aggrandizement which often results in the planning and execution of grandiose projects meant for ego tripping. The administration has steadily continued to unfold and execute its plans of action in different parts of the state and its citizenry with a view to ensuring that all sections of the state are considered and taken care of, in the execution of projects with tact and systemic approach.
Of paramount importance to the administration is the fact that government is a continuum, which is a sharp departure from the past practice where sheer political rivalry and utter vendetta drove the government of the day to abandon projects of their predecessors.
In adopting this stance, the administration has reasoned that leaving such inherited projects to decay would only amount to huge waste of the meagre resources and mismanagement of tax payers’ money. In line with this philosophy, however, the administration is focusing on maintaining and upgrading (where need be) existing infrastructure.
Thus, while new developmental projects have commenced, in line with the administration’s “Building Our Future Together” mantra anchored on the enablers and planks, the administration believes that existing infrastructures need not be made to suffer neglect, especially when it was discovered that most of the infrastructure, such as roads, education, healthcare facilities, among others were in bad shape.
Without mincing words, the fact is that, despite the huge resources claimed to have been expended on infrastructure, especially roads, by the immediate past administration, most of the roads are in a deplorable state, with the residents bearing the attendant brunt.
•Ogbonnikan is a Media Aide to the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.