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Calls have gone to the political office holders and civil servants in Osun State to join hands with Governor Rauf Aregbesola to work towards the achievement of the Six-point Integral Action Plan of the present administration.
The national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; the National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande; the first Military Administrator of Osun State, Major General Segun Ajiborisa (rtd); the Vice Chancellor, Osun State University, Professor Sola Akinrinade and Chief Ayo Opadokun among others made the calls in Offa, Kwara State on Friday at the grand finale of the 4-Day Cabinet Retreat for members of Osun State Executive Council and top civil servants.
Describing Aregbesola as a well-known focused person, who was ready to better the lots of the people of the state, Tinubu said that in any sane society, the focus of any good governance must be the people, saying that once the objective of good governance is taken away from the people, such government would not succeed.
Saying that those in the public service today were only lucky to represent the people of the state considering the population, he noted that the public officials should try as much as possible to think of what they could do to better the lots of the people of the state.
Tinubu, who described Aregbesola as an incorruptible, intelligent, resourceful, believable and focused human being, said that he (Aregbesola) was a key to the success of Lagos State under his administration between 1999 and 2007, noting that the public officials should join him to be able to do more in Osun.
Akande specifically called on the civil servants to bury the idea of laziness and indolence and allow the retreat to be an opportunity for them to build the capacity to optimally deliver on their various responsibilities.
The state Head of Office, Elder Segun Akinwusi described Aregbesola as a worthy leader, who has the focus of making the state better, recalling that the governor has assured all the civil servants of job security and all he required was cooperation of the civil servants.
Assuring the governor of the civil service support throughout his stay in office, Akinwusi noted that the governor had laid his programmes on the table and it is now the responsibilities of all civil servants to go back to the drawing board and see that the programmes are delivered to ensure that people of the state benefit optimally.
He then warned any civil servant who might be hiding under some political protégé to bring down the government of the day, saying that rather, they should work towards achieving the desired goals and objectives.
Speaking, Aregbesola recalled that inspite of the frustration, intimidations and harassment during his struggle to serve the people of the state, he refused to relent, saying that now that he had been in power, there would be no reason for failure, as the expectations of the people from the present administration are high.
Restating that the train of good governance has started moving round the state, he said all public officials in the state should put the people first and ensure that Osun is made to become economically sound and a pride of Yoruba race.
Appealing to all the public office holders, Aregbesola said: "As from today, whatever thing that you think will be inimical to the realization of our programmes and plans must be buried. From today, you must not be indolent again. From today, you must be focused to the achievement of our programmes. Whatever is our weakness, whatever our limitation, we have seen enough to note that nothing must stop us from being the symbols of ensuring that Osun is the pride of our race.
"Let us be fully charged and ready. We must know that this administration is not just like any other administration, but it is an administration that is focused on unraveling the mighty potentials of Yoruba race", he insisted.
Others at the programme were the state deputy governor, Otunba Titilayo Laoye-Tomori; the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola; the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; National Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; the former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos State, Mr Dele Alake; the former Commissioner for Environment in Lagos State, Dr Muiz Banire; the former Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Professor Wale Omole as well as Osun State Commissioners, Special Advisers and Permanent Secretaries among others.
At the end of the retreat, all the participants declared their commitment to the success of Aregbesola's administration to the effect that they will reflect, develop and be prepared at all times to do everything to achieve all set objectives of the administration within the scope of its tenure with flexibility when required.
The 4-Day Retreat was rounded off with a courtesy visit on the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi by the governor and his team.
Osun Defender