Community of Ondo State indigenes in the Diaspora, on Saturday expressed delight at the concern shown for the less-privileged by the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, citing the governor’s recent disbursement of over N200 million as soft loan to artisans and other enterprise owners across the state.
The governor fulfilled the promise which he made a few months ago, last Wednesday, at a ceremony where he was represented by his deputy, Olayide Adelami in Akure, the state’s capital.
Reflecting on the import of such a gesture, the Diaspora Community, in a statement issued by its coordinator, Dare Aliu, remarked that the lump sum, disbursed to artisans and other down-the-cadre enterprise owners across the state, was a soothing balm that will lessen the hardship being currently experienced in their ranks.
“We are greatly impressed that we have in Ondo State, a governor with the milk of human kindness, as he has sufficiently demonstrated this through his series of masses-oriented programmes, since he assumed office, December, last year.
“Many of us indigenes of Ondo State living in Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in the world have been tracking the performance of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and are proud to say that he has exceeded our expectation through his achievements in public welfare, social infrastructure, and human empowerment,” Aliu applauded.
He added that Nigerians living abroad reckoned that blames should not be heaped on the federal government alone in the face of the country’s economic hardship, but that the state administrations should also be put to task, to undertake palliative measures and other welfare programmes to bring relief to the residents.
“This is where Governor Aiyedatiwa has proved to be exceptional if accessed since he became Governor, following the death of his boss, the late former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, December last year.
“We have not forgotten that immediately he came on board, he cleared all backlogs of unpaid salaries, allowances, pensions, and gratuities, putting smiles on the faces of public workers and retirees alike.
“The governor in the wake of the hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy, not only approved monthly payment of palliative allowance to civil servants but has also, till date been providing free bus shuttles for school children and civil servants across the state.
“This is aside from setting aside over N2 billion as soft loan to be accessed by petty traders, artisans and struggling entrepreneurs, part of which was disbursed a few days ago.”
Aliu similarly commended Aiyedatiwa for mobilising hitherto disgruntled road contractors back to site, and for embarking on fresh road and other infrastructural projects spread across the 18 local government areas.
“The truth must be told that it is the best global practice for government to prioritise human welfare and manpower development above all other considerations, as could be seen in how governments in the Western world kept their citizens at home and were providing them with their needs during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Therefore, Aiyedatiwa has done well for the people to empower them financially in these trying times.”
Aliu similarly commended the governor on the recent appointment of 344 aides cutting across all the local government areas, saying, “This has demonstrated that the governor felt the pains of the people and saw the need to touch their lives through their respective kith and kin that are beneficiaries of the appointments”.
He, therefore, urged other state governors in the country to emulate Aiyedatiwa’s ingenious approach to governance.
