A leading aspirant to the governorship of Ondo State under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bosun Arebuwa said the need to leave a legacy of development and growth and the far from impressive performance of the APC government in Ondo State are major reasons for his aspiration.
Speaking with journalists at the weekend in Akure, the Ode Aye born administrator said he is aspiring to serve so as to “leave behind a legacy of excellent developments in education, health, youth empowerment, agribusiness, industrial growth and security among others.”
Arebuwa who said he took his legs off his campaign efforts for a while in honour of the departed Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu after he officially launched his aspiration a while back said, other than the niceties of not speaking ill of the dead, “the APC government in Ondo State has taken Ondo State to the lowest low in the socio economic ladder.”
The chartered accountant, chartered tax practitioner said, “They have almost destroyed our health infrastructure, disincentived education through unaccountable actions and decisions, personalised government and government institutions and generally demoralised the populace.”
He added that the PDP, which he hopes to be its flagbearer, will be coming with policies, strategies and actions that will make government more open, more accountable and less expensive to run.
“We shall be working to entrench a new paradigm of functional and effective education through a combination of modern and nimbler school infrastructural reengineering on the basis of contemporary skill and professional needs,” Arebuwa said.
While conceding that each individual who had ruled the state played their parts and had distinguishing features, he said that the APC era has been the worst in terms of the high hopes, ethical standards and moral values they threw to the dustbin.
“Every government has played its part according to the capacity of the governor and team. For instance, Late Chief Adefarati was of the old school; punctual, modest and unassuming.
The late Dr Olusegun Agagu who succeeded him displayed remarkable intellect in policy formulation and brilliance, Dr Olusegun Mimiko was pragmatic, people-oriented and showed clear disposition to socio-democratic ethos and ways and the just departed Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was bold and fearless in matters concerning the Yoruba people when occasion demanded.
“The truth however is that of all, the era that will be ending with the next election has been the worst in policy erudition, social transformation and prudency in the management of resources.”
Arebuwa added that “in all of the past 7 years, there has been no clear policy on infant and maternal health let alone general health. It has been a sleuth of disjointed actions that have taken us back.
“The APC government in Ondo state has treated health workers with disdain and total disregard hence the mass movement of doctors and nurses out of the employ of our state.
“The argument that this is a national reality falls flat when viewed against the fact that our own health workers are moving from our health institutions to neighbouring states where they are treated with more dignity and where facilities are more functional. At the apex health institution in Ondo State, diagnostic facilities have all but collapsed.
“While people were being referred from OAUTH, EKSUTH and the rest to UNIMED and the Trauma Centre before, the opposite is now the case!
“In education, our students are being made to pay more in our tertiary institutions with near zero improvement in infrastructure. At the secondary school level, no tangible improvements and or innovations have been recorded.
“Our primary schools have been returned to the analog era from the progressive era of Mega schools with functional learning tools. And little or nothing is being done to have well trained and certificated artisans as obtainable in neighbouring states. This drift must stop and that is why we are here.”
Asked about his experience as a political gladiator, Arebuwa responded: “what experience in politics can be more than being a knowledgeable victim and observer of a failing system? What experience do you need to manage man and resources that I do not have? What experience in appropriately allocating scarce resources to fruitful ends do I not have and if what you mean is the involvement in political thinking and actions, I have also not been found wanting.”
