CAMPAIGNING in Ode-Irele on Wednesday, Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who is seeking a second term in office as the state’s executive governor, identified two main problems undermining Nigeria emerging to her true potentials in the committee of nations: lack of credible leadership and poor planning.
Westerners who changed the circumstances of their immediate environment for the better did so in spite of the challenges their society faced, said Governor Mimiko. For him, want and suffering would be a thing of the past if we plan and harness our resources under credible leadership.
Mimiko who told the people of Irele that he was ready more than ever before, to provide leadership and continue to be their Governor if they give him their vote disclosed that the obvious positive changes in Ondo State in the last three and a half years for which accolade have come from far and wide were occasioned by planning and hard work under a credible leadership.
His words: “What we need is leadership; governance is serious business because it is not something you wake up overnight just because you heard the sound of siren and say you want to be governor. It is a serious business because the decisions you take can affect a generation, it can affect two generations and even ten generations for good or bad. That is why it is not something you toy with; it is about our future, it is about our God-given potential because in my inner mind, I can see that we can develop our land and people will come from all over the world to learn from us.
“The situation must change and I can see the change and I believe it is possible. I am not talking theory and everything I am telling you is not conjectural. I have empirical evidence to prove that we can change our lives. Through the instrumentality of Abiye, we have reduced maternal mortality in our land, and we will continue until pregnancy will no longer be a death sentence in Ondo State.
“I know that it is possible for the child of a messenger and the child of a multi-millionaire to sit down in the same classroom and receive the same level of quality education in. it is not conjectural because I have in the last few days seen people, big men in the society begging us to withdraw their children from private schools to our mega schools, it is happening and it is possible if we ordered our priorities right.
“If you are ready for the task of taking our land to heights hitherto deemed impossible, a utopian state, our Rehoboth, a land of abundance where there would be room enough for our people then we must pray fervently to God to bring back our prosperity. We must also be ready to work. I will be your leader, at all times, in all seasons; I will provide leadership at all times. I will create chances that will lift our people from the morass of poverty. I am ready to make the sacrifices that would be required. To me, leadership is not about the size of your bank account but leadership is about the amount of joy I can bring into your hearts. I am ready. Are you ready to go with me?”
He, therefore, enjoined the people of the State to come out en-masse on October 20 with their cards to vote for him; watch their vote by waiting until then very end.
“Before you go out in the morning on October 20, lift up your voter cards to God say ‘God I am going to cast vote for the Labour Party, I am going to cast my vote for Dr Olusegun Mimiko, every desire of my heart, good Lord, by reason of this card and my vote, do for me’. On October 21, go out and celebrate and say liberation has come for our land. Never again will some people with over bloated ego, people who will want to exercise hegemonic power over your lives succeed. I want to assure you that those who say they want to capture us will meet their waterloo in Ondo State.
“I say to you that by the power of the Almighty God, and that with every fibre that He has given me, I am ready to continue to be your governor. I am ready to provide leadership for you. I will continue to work for you,” he assured.