By Ayodele Oni
Lucky Aiyedatiwa has taken oath of office as the seventh democratically elected Governor of Ondo state. His deputy, Olayide Adelami was also inaugurated at a colourful ceremony.
The ceremony, which took place in Akure on Monday was attended by governors from the south west, chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), traditional rulers and leaders of industry.
In his inaugural speech, Aiyedatiwa paid glowing tributes to the founding fathers and former Governors of the state, who have contributed immensely to its growth and development over the past 49 years of its creation.
He specifically recognized and thanked late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for allowing him to serve as his deputy.
“We must not forget this courageous and personable leader who literally emptied himself in the service of Ondo State and Nigeria as his legacy continues to inspire us to continue to build upon the foundations he laid.
“I am particularly indebted to him for choosing me as his Deputy and for his public and undisguised prophetic declaration at about this time, on this same podium, four years ago, when he was being sworn-in for his second term as Governor and my humble self then as Deputy Governor.
“That declaration must be appreciated for setting the tone for me as his successor to the office of Governor. I must say that I am deeply pained that this great leader who saw tomorrow is not here with us to witness and servour this auspicious occasion which marks the fulfilment of what God spoke through him.”
The governor assured the people of the state not to let them down as the administration will touch their life in all aspects.
“We like to assure you that the overwhelming renewed mandate you have freely given to us has further placed on us a huge burden of leadership and we promise never to rest on our oars.
“We make a solemn pledge this day that we shall lead and govern with the fear of God and utmost dedication to the progress of the State. We will prioritise the welfare of our people, particularly the most vulnerable among us – the poor, the sick and the marginalised.
“My dear people of the Sunshine State, today, with a heart full of gratitude we have accepted on oath with all humility and sense of responsibility to be your Governor and Deputy Governor. We are in a hurry to justify this fresh mandate entrusted to us.
“In the next four years, we will work with interested investors and our development partners in ensuring that our Port Ondo becomes a reality. We will also facilitate investors to explore our large deposits of bitumen for local use and export purposes, thereby generating huge revenue to the State.
“This has been the vision and goals of our founding fathers. There is no doubt that this would not be an easy task but we are prepared to frontally confront these challenges and succeed.
“From this day, our State will transit from the REDEEMED AGENDA of the last four years to a new Development Policy Thrust, O’DATIWA O’ DIRORUN, which was our electioneering campaign mantra to the people and which literally translates to “OUR EASE”.
“This 7-point pillar shall propel our development agenda for the next four years as carefully designed to drive sustainable development and improve quality of life for our citizens.”
To the opposition political parties, the governor stated that “I ike to appeal to our friends in the opposition parties to join hands with our administration to develop the Sunshine State.
‘We have no need for unnecessary political distractions which are costing us time, resources and energies that could be redirected and gainfully utilised for accelerated development of the State. There is room enough for all.”
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