OSOGBO – The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has on Sunday said the advent of the present administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari had saved the country from total collapse and dis-integration.
Aregbesola stated while addressing people at a programme organised by Christian community of the Government House Chapel, tagged 2016 Democracy Service and Award of honour to some eminent stakeholders in the state.
The Governor who subtly referred to the usual “Democracy Day” in Nigeria as “Social Democracy Day” hinted that, if not for the one year of President Buhari-led government in Nigeria, the country would have been brought to her knees.
Governor Aregbesola and the former Governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola were awarded the award of Icon of Democracy; the Deputy Governor, Mrs Grace Titilayo-Tomori and Senator Isiaka Adeleke were also presented with the Award of Hero of Democracy.
Other Awardees are Senator Jide Omoworare, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, former deputy Governor in the state, Sooko Adewoyin, Dr. Olu Alabi of the People’s Democratic Party”, Chief Tunde Ponle an industrialist among others were also honoured at the ceremony.
The Governor disclosed that the current Buhari Government is more pro-poor government, which was exactly the type of government the Late MKO Abiola intended to run if he had been given his mandate.
He stated that the APC believes in the Abiola ideological government which is why Buhari is implementing programmes that directly impacts on the masses.
Aregbesola said, “When I was invited to this programme today, I knew I will be forced to say something. I also knew I will say something because of the calibre of people in attendance today.
“The then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government only recognised June 12 as Democracy Day. And some of us have not deviated from this line of belief. It is only others that recognised May 29 as Democracy Day. If we celebrate it today, it is in recognition of Progressive government in Nigeria.
“In comparison, the type of government President Buhari is running is in many ways similar to what system of government Abiola intended to run in Nigeria; a government that targets purely the teeming masses of the country.
“ACN, now APC, shares this same Abiola’s ideology. That is why President Buhari earmarked N500bn in this year’s budget to cater for the poorest of the poor Nigerians”.
Aregbesola who lamented over the economic state of the nation, accused the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan of being reckless in the management of the nation’s treasury.
He held that the ousted administration through its insensitivity, milked the nation’s treasury dried, adding that if President Buhari was not elected, the nation would have seized to exist.
Aregbesola stressed that the recovery of huge public funds by the present administration from treasury looters was a clear manifestation of monumental corruption perpetrated under President Jonathan’s administration.
The Governor recounted the economic pains being experienced under the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that God intentionally brought President Buhari to power in order to liberate Nigerians and Nigeria from total collapse.
He stated that for the first time in the political structure of Nigeria, the country has successfully elected a government passionately rooted to banish all forms of poverty by setting pace for economic abundance and political dividends which according to him cut across all faceted of human’s life.
Recounting some of the achievements of the present government, he noted the current administration had succeeded in bringing to budget a sum N500Billion purportedly aimed to support the vulnerable in the country.
