By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
Media Aide to Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who is the former Minister of Interior, Ileowo Kikiowo yesterday reacted to the statement credited to Governor Ademola Adeleke who described the Aregbesola’s led administration as the “worst in the history of Osun State”.
According to Kikiowo, the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as Governor of Osun State between 2010 and 2018 duly prioritised people-oriented and responsible policies, which birthed everlasting legacies.
The Media Aide said, while his principal will not trade insults or respond to any abusive or provocation from the present administration in the state, Aregbesola made tough decisions to protect the welfare and betterment of entire citizens.
Kikiowo said further that, “Our intention is not to trade insults or respond to every provocation. What we stand for is clear, a people-centred politics that puts the needs and aspirations of Osun citizens first. The essence of leadership is making tough decisions to protect the welfare of the majority.
“That is exactly what Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola did as Governor. The results speak for themselves. Under the leadership, Osun recorded the lowest unemployment rate, lowest poverty rate, and lowest crime rate in Nigeria, facts confirmed by independent institutions like the NBS and UNDP.
“This impact was made possible because we took bold steps: investing in over 1,200 km of roads, including 600 km of rural roads, building 3,685 new classrooms, supporting over 27,000 MSMEs, and empowering 60,000 youths through the OYES programme.
“Over 700,000 people were lifted out of poverty, and 1.59 million jobs were created through our MSME drive. In tough times, instead of mass retrenchment, we protected jobs; the lower cadre received full pay, while higher-level officers made temporary sacrifices.
“That is what they called leadership. That is Ogbeni’s legacy. What is theirs? Constant attacks on others just to curry favour from the presidency, they do not improve the lives of our people, and they only reveal desperation” Aregbesola’s Media Aide emphasised.
