The governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP), in Ogun State, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has raised hopes of the state overcoming its current challenges and truly becoming Nigeria’s model state.
Ajadi, who stated this in a new year message, described it as both a prophet declaration and a call to action on the Ogun people.
He said his optimism is based on human, natural, and material endowment of the state, saying that all that remained was an effective harnessing of these God-given attributes and that Ogun would experience the socio-economic and political renaissance befitting it as a “Gateway State”.
Ajadi said such a renaissance would come from the effective address of critical issues bedeviling its key sectors and areas.
He mentioned these to be both people and infrastructure-centered, adding: “It is people that make up a nation and it is people that drive development. So when you take care of the people, it is easier to drive development. That is why part of our resolve is to focus on human development and welfare acoss all levels. Once people are taken care of, they would be motivated to drive your development.”
According to a new year message issued by his Director of Media & Publicity, Mr. Cami Ezenwa, Ajadi explained that his people-centered policies would see to improved working conditions of those in the state’s civil service so that they would continue to give their best.
“We will seek improved working conditions for civil servants. We will also intensify efforts at settling outstanding pensions and gratuities of daddies and mummies, and uncles and aunties who have served the state with their energy”
Rephrasing from the scripture that laborers are worthy of their wages, he said it would amount to bringing a curse upon a state for those who served it in their prime to be left to wallow in abject poverty and frustration upon retirement.
“It is also what contributes to nepotism and corruption in public service.
“When workers are not sure what will become of them upon their retirement, they put their hands in all kinds of corruption.
“We will not just preach to people in service not to be corrupt, we will work towards this by ensuring a level of comfort for them, during and after service.
“That’s why my administration will ensure improved workers’ welfare first, and also better and prompt payment of severance entitlements of civil servants.
“We will use these to fight corruption in public service and use it to, engender hard work and promote productivity in our gateway state,” Ajadi said.
