With these words, Action Congress of Nigeria’s governorship candidate in the April 14, 2007 election, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, was sworn-in by the Chief Justice of Osun State, Justice Olaniyi Ojo, at 3:09pm on Saturday.
Aregbesola’s deputy, Mrs. Grace Laoye-Tomori, was sworn-in at exactly 3pm by Ojo at a colourful ceremony watched by thousands of jubilant people at the Government Technical College, Osogbo.
Making his inaugural speech, Aregbesola announced the freezing of all government accounts and ordered that all the cheque books belonging to the state be deposited with the Accountant General of the state.
He promised to deploy his energy and ability in the total service of the people of Osun, stressing that a new dawn of liberation has come for the state.
The new governor said, “The Olagunsoye Oyinlola administration has thrown Osun State into the cesspit of retrogression. I can’t fix Osun State alone; together, we must do it.
“I will not delude myself into believing that the task of reviving Osun State can be done by me alone. No words are adequate to express my gratitude to you for being steadfast in the face of political brigandage, suppression and oppression by Oyinlola government.
“I thank the judiciary for showing courage and truthfulness in their judgement. I am indebted to the judiciary for restoring the people’s mandate stolen by the PDP.”
Aregbesola, who described the Oyinlola government as lacking ideas, recalled the alleged oppression and suppression by the erstwhile administration against him and the people of the state during the struggle to reclaim his mandate.
He promised to provide 20,000 jobs within his first 100 days in office, adding that within the first 150 days, he will turn Osogbo into a commercial hub, where goods would be sold for the same price they are sold in Lagos.
Meanwhile, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, who was a staunch supporter of the ousted Oyinlola administration, was absent at Aregbesola’s swearing-in ceremony.
A former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who gave glory to God for the victory, said the house of lies and deceit built by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo during the 2007 election was crumbling before his (Obasanjo’s) eyes.
He said Obasanjo, Oyinlola and their supporters in Osun robbed their way to power in 2003; adding that Obasanjo foisted a pack of incompetent PDP governors on the South-West.
Tinubu said, “People of Osun State, your prayer has gone up to God and God has answered your prayer by changing the visionless government of Oyinlola. Aregbesola can fix the rot in Osun. He did it in Lagos. I worked with him for eight years in Lagos.
“He is a workaholic, faithful, dedicated and upright individual who has the passion to serve. Osun has good soil, agric will be developed and the state will earn money from it.”
Dignitaries present at the occasion were the National Chairman of ACN, Chief Bisi Akande; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN); Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
Others were the former Governor of Ekiti, Chief Niyi Adebayo; former Governor of Ogun, Chief Segun Osoba; former Governor of Anambra, Dr. Chris Ngige; former Governor of Oyo, Alhaji Lam Adesina; ACN governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; and Senator Ibikunle Amosu.
Also in attendance were the leader of Niger Delta Volunteer Force, Asari Dokubo; poet, Ordia Ofeimum; a former Commissioner for Information in Lagos State, Mr. Dele Alake; a chieftain of ACN in Lagos, Mr. Bola Ilori; Mr. Femi Falana and Chief Adegboye Onigbinde.
Lagos commissioners, Messrs. Muiz Banire and Bamidele Opeyemi, were also present at the ceremony.
Governors Mimiko, Fashola, Oshiomhole and Fayemi commended the people of Osun for their unwavering support for Aregbesola, stressing that the rule of law must be obeyed for democracy to thrive.
Fuji star, Wasiu Ayinde, treated the audience to songs, while the programme was anchored by comedians Gbenga Adeyinka and Holy Mallam.
Osogbo, the state capital, witnessed an unprecedented crowd and merrymaking which went on simultaneously in various streets, pubs, residences and offices.
There was free food for the masses at designated centres such as Isale-Osun, Ayetoro, Oke-Fia, Ajegunle, Aregbesola’s campaign secretariat, among several others.
Source:Punch
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