The incumbent governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Rahman Mimiko might be walking his way to historic reckoning going by the recent catalogues of testimonials and score sheet of his stewardship over the three years of his assumption into the office. And for the records, if figures and performance are put to test, the man who`s fondly referred to as Iroko has arguably surpassed his predecessors in the scheme of administration.
His track records
can best be described as democratic revolution as the nook and crannies of the
state is presently agog counting blessing upon blessings for what Iroko-The
People`s Messiah has done so far. Those who`re of the opinion that, Mimiko`s
accomplishment is only channeled at the capital city will need to take a tour
of other cities like Ondo, Ore, Okitipupa, Owo to mention but a few, to see
things for themselves.
In a recent facility
tour of some of the major projects embarked upon by the visionary leader,
what`s more fascinating is his large heart of inheriting the last minute
University project, Adekunle Ajasin University of Science & Technology
which the government of Chief Olusegun Agagu hurriedly awarded and paid contractors
in advance, six months of his leaving the office, the project which was in
shamble is today a total success as student will begin receiving lectures from
next session.
The varsity which is
located in Okitipupa boasts of paraphernalia of best Science Technology
institution in this part of the world and it will interest you to know that,
the minimum qualification for lecturers in this institution is Phd! The
visiting members of fourth estate of realm were at the school`s temporary site
where we had tete a tete with some of the lecturers, “we were just laughing
when President Goodluck Jonathan declared that, the minimum qualification for
lecturers in any university is Phd, we can tell you authoritatively that, all
of us here are Doctorate degree holders”, he told us with a pride.
And as if that’s not
enough, the people`s governor has no doubt uplifted the standard of education
in the State with the construction of modern primary schools emblazoned in
grades, according to his Chief Press Secretary, Eniola Akinsola, “the primary
schools are in 2 categories, we have type A and type B, the type A category are
public schools re-built in a modern format to accommodate pupils in a
particular settlement, we`re looking at 2000 students and above while the type
B are meant for areas that have few pupils and we`re proud to inform you that,
unforms are free for these pupils” he explained.
These schools are so
modern that, even tertiary institutions and private Polytechnics cannot compete
with the beauty of the structures, “it is one of Mr. Governor`s magic wand and
can I tell you something, strategy is already in place on how these schools are
going to be managed independently, for instance, each of them have a very big
multi-purpose hall, already contracted out to a consultant and meant to serve
as event center for the community on weekly basis while the proceeds take care
of the schools` maintenance.
Mimiko didn’t stop
at that, his initiative for industrialization is second to none, Iroko has
perfected plans to make the popular commuters` confluence, Ore an industrial
hub that will serve thousands of tourists travelling along the Ondo Ore axis to
the East and North of Nigeria. As you read this, work has began in earnest on a
sprawling park that will have at least 100 rooms guest house and other
amenities that will make Ore a haven of sort.
Apart from
approaching governance from the pro poor angle via rebuilding of old ancestral
markets all over the state, the establishment of the best primary school in
Nigeria called Mega primary schools, rebranding of the National Union of Road
Transport Workers (NURTW), establishment of the first in Africa Motor park,
inauguration of three farm settlements with each assimilating over 1000
hitherto employed graduates on owner – participant basis, establishment of
Abiye Hospital which has been declared as novel by World Health Organization
(WHO) and so many others. Being a medical doctor by profession, Dr. Mimiko has
taken a cursory look into the capital flight which Nigeria suffers from the act
of seeking medical attention abroad which runs into millions of dollars every
year. He believed that this large sums could be retained in Nigeria to expand
the economy, create jobs, mobilise wealth and keep Nigerians healthy and sound.
The first thing was to establish the Abiye concept of mother and child hospital
which services child delivery, primary health care and mother and child health
services not only free, but available for Ondo citizens. The other step is the
establishment of a medical village in Ondo town, on Laje Road, off Ondo-Ore
Road in Ondo–West Local Government. The Medical Village, which comprises of a
100-bed Mother and Child Hospital, Gani Fawehinmi Diagnostic Centre, Trauma
Centre; General Hospital, Call Centre, Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Hospital, Heliport, staff quarters, staff school, shopping mall, and sports
centre, is set to be opened to the public before month end. The diagnostic
centre with state-of-the-art medical equipment such as Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (MRI), CT Scan, mammogram, auto analyzer, among others, and named after
the late human rights activist and lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, has been functional
since February 2011. The entire Medical Village costs a whole lot. The trauma
centre alone is almost N4 billion. The Mother and Child is close to N700
million. Then Gani Fawehinmi Diagnostic Centre is another N700 million while
the shopping mall, the heliport and recreation centre run into millions of
naira which is not up to a fraction of what the village will save Nigeria and
Nigerian from capital flight. Governor Mimiko sensibly arranged the medical
village to serve the medical needs of a typical Nigeria in the form of; first
of all, being watched over at the Trauma Centre as the case may be, then taken
to the Diagnostic Centre for proper diagnosis, the lack of which has sent so
many souls to early graves, after which one can within the village attend to by
a hordes of medical personnel in a first class hospital, and on getting well,
recuperate and go back home hale and healthy without wasting money on foreign
trips and its attendant personal cost and its affliction on the nation’s
economy. This you will agree is not just a wishful thinking or a development of
overnight brain- wave, but a matter of a man who has a well horned and
researched blue print which has been expertly worked over before he became the
Governor.
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