…as he appraises 2020 budget By Samuel Alonge In what appears as spreading the olive branch, the Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, yesterday reflected on the legal battle he went through to retain his mandate as governor, but said he had chosen to forget the past and forge ahead. In a goodwill message to the people of the state, to mark the New Year, Abiodun said, “2019 was an extra-ordinary year for our dear state”, noting, “We celebrated the people’s choice at the polls and congratulated ourselves on the legal victories (and) as we put behind us these events, today is an opportunity for us to reflect and remind ourselves of our responsibilities to each other.” Abiodun’s victory had been challenged up to the Supreme Court by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) governorship candidate, Mr. Adekunle Akinlade, but the governor triumphed. Akinlade had been fully backed by the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who curiously remained in the APC but retained the APM as a pet. However, Akinlade, following his loss at the apex court, returned to the APC, last week. Governor Abiodun, who signed the state’s appropriation bill into law two days ago, also explained that while he was glad to have won his legal battle, he would not bear grudges against those who challenged his victory. He said his budget christened, “Budget of Building the State Together”, was conceived in concert with the people, as it was drafted after inclusive town-hall meetings in the three senatorial districts. “This budget will deliver on its promise. It is not just about the size of the budget; it is all about our commitment to ensuring its faithful implementation. Towards ensuring this, we have put in place a number of initiatives, including the establishment of Government Delivery Units (GDUs) that will ensure that government projects and programmes are not only delivered but would also be measurable and constantly evaluated,” Abiodun assured. He also said his commissioner-nominees who had been cleared by the state’s House of Assemblies would soon get their respective portfolios. In the education sector, the governor said the last seven months had been devoted to taking it to a functional level. “Critical issues relating to Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology; Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, and Tai Solarin College of Education have all been resolved. “We have also embarked on the rehabilitation of our public primary and tertiary facilities across the state. We recently promoted over 10,000 teaching and non-teaching staff for the year 2016 and 2017, and have restored the payment of running costs in our schools.” Abiodun said his administration had similarly continued to address infrastructural and staff deficits in the health institutions, and had rehabilitated primary and tertiary health facilities across the state, apart from approving the immediate recruitment of medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists and all other medical personnel for the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, and other medical facilities. The governor who assured that great resources would be devoted to road rehabilitation and construction this year, said, “Let me assure all our people that work will commence soon on the Ijebu-Ode/Epe road, which is already captured in the 2020 Budget.”