Press Statement
June 16, 2020
ONDO 2020: MY PLEDGE OF GOOD, QUALITATIVE GOVERNANCE IN ONDO -JIMI ODIMAYO
Gentlemen of the Press
I, Prince Okunjimi Odimayo, Governorship aspirant on the platform of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the October 10, 2020 Governorship Election in Ondo State, stand before you and our God today to made the pledge of good and qualitative governance as elected governor of our darling Sunshine State come February 24, 2021.
As a youth and the youngest aspirant ever to the exalted position of Governor of Ondo State, my priority and emphasis will be mainly on a 5-Point Developmental Agenda as stated below;
1. EDUCATION
As we all know, education is our major industry and vocation in Ondo State since the creation of the state in 1978, and which has been our main strength for a goal for modern human capital development and deployable for modern agricultural and other industrial businesses and enterprises.
We shall guarantee improved funding far and above of what is obtainable in the incumbent, as we promise a judicious use of resources for free and compulsory education at Primary and Secondary levels in Ondo State just like the days of our late progressive leaders, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Pa. Michael Adekunle Ajasin. We will further reduce drastically, the exorbitant tuition fees currently been paid in all the State owned tertiary to stop the mass withdrawing episode of our undergraduates from our institutions caused by inability of many parents and guardians to pay the new high fees.
2. QUALITY HEALTHCARE
Our people always say that ‘health is wealth’, in this line, we shall made them healthy and wealthy by providing high quality and comprehensive healthcare services at all the 203 wards across the 18 council areas of the State, with necessary attitudinal change of healthcare personnel, health education, women empowerment and the provision of workable Ondo State Health Insurance Scheme (ODHIS) for a highly subsidized and affordable, yet high quality Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Healthcare services in line with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and National Health Act guidelines.
3.INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT
We shall as a matter of necessity, change the economy statue of Ondo State from the current Civil Service driven to an industrial hub and next destination for heavy industrialization. We will intensify all efforts towards the provision of Power (plus Rural Electrification); Portable Water; Roads; Bridges; Affordable Housing; Lobby for Rail link to Ondo State; and a dedicated Cargo Seaport, in our effort to lay down an enabling environment for industrial growth and infrastructural development. We will seek alternative solar and other renewable and cleaner forms of energy or power generation in collaboration with domestic and international private sector investors with Public – Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.
4. MECHANIZED AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRIALIZATION
As an agrarian state, we shall expand our coast in Agricultural cultivation through a well focused and planed Mechanized farming all over the state. We shall engage our people in Agriculture and Industrialization with simple, modern and affordable mechanized farm implements under a programme of deliberate Integrated Rural Development with small/medium scale businesses to reverse rural – urban drift of our youths and to provide massive employment opportunities with the development of whole value chains for several identified revenue – yielding crops.
5. GOOD GOVERNANCE
As I promised early, we shall ensure good governance with incorruptible leadership, financial accountability and discipline. Every naira that comes into the state coffers will be judiciously and fairly use for all the eighteen local government areas development without any special favour. We shall maintain law and order, adequate security and put our state on the top of the list as the most peaceful state in Nigeria. The deliberate promotion of a dozen Solid Minerals identified in Ondo State, environmental protection, development of Sports Tourism, social welfare programmes, youth empowerment anchored on entrepreneurship development, respect for Federal and state judiciary, respect for the separation of power and House of Assembly independence, and the involvement of Ondo State Traditional Rulers in modern community leadership shall be our topmost priorities.
All these and more we shall do for our people in Ondo State through the help of God if voted as Governor in the October 10, 2020 Election.
Ilosiwaju Ipinle Ondo….O di dandan!
Thank you.
PRINCE OKUNJIMI ODIMAYO
Governor Aspirant,
APC, Ondo State
