Ondo@40: “FROM PROVINCE TO A PLACE OF PRIDE”.

 

A STATE BROADCAST BY THE GOVERNOR OF ONDO STATE,

DR. OLUSEGUN MIMIKO,(CON) ON THE OCCASION OF THE

40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CREATION OF ONDO STATE ON

FEBRUARY 3,2016.

My Dear people of Ondo State,

It is indeed with a profound sense of gratitude to God

Almighty that I address you today in commemoration of the

40th anniversary of the creation of Ondo State. Let me

congratulate all Ondo State indigenes for being worthy

partakers of a heritage of honour, hard work and self-

assuredness, these are, the legacy and attributes bequeathed

to us through our nativity in this state.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ONDO STATE CREATION.

The area historically known as Ondo Province constituted a

geographically contiguous territory bounded in the north by

the old Kwara State, in the east by the former Midwest State,

in the south by the Atlantic seaboard and in the west by the

Oyo and Ijebu provinces. During the colonial era, the territory

which was created as Ondo State was administered as one

Province under a Residency with the administrative

headquarters at Akure.

The post-independence tripodal structure of Nigeria, which

consisted of the Northern, Eastern and Western Regional

governments, fuelled suspicions of marginalization in the

minority tribes and induced fears of domination which

invariably, led to a civil war in 1967 soon after Nigeria’s

second military coup of July 1966.Since the twelve-state

structure of Nigeria, worked out by the Gowon administration

on the May 27, 1967, failed to allay the fears of ethnic

domination and re-structure the country, the succeeding Gen.

Murtala Mohammed military government, on the basis of the

Justice Ayo Irikefe Panel’s recommendations, further divided

the Western State into Ogun, Oyo and Ondo States on

February 3, 1976.

I do not think there is any better way to capture the historical

essence of our 40-year old journey than to start by paying

tributes to our leaders, past and present, whose serial

exertions, agitation and movement led to the creation of Ondo

State.

On behalf of the people of Ondo State, I salute the courage,

industry, steadfastness and commitment of members of the

Ondo Provincial Movement, under the Chairmanship of late

Chief G.B.A Akinyede and the Secretary, late Mr. Deji

Adegoroye.

This was the organisation to which ten representatives from

the administrative divisions were nominated to pursue the

creation of Ondo State. The group had its maiden meeting on

the grounds of Omolere Nursery/Primary School in Akure on

November 11, 1973 and thereafter, worked tirelessly to

mobilise resources and galvanise the people of the old Ondo

Province until the State was created on February 3, 1976.I

acknowledge the efforts of many of them that had passed on

to the great beyond and wish them eternal rest.

Let me also appreciate some of them who are still alive. They

are: Oba S.K.A Adedoyin, the Owa Ale of Ikare, Chief Reuben

Fasoranti, Prince Olu Adeyemi, Bashorun Seinde Arogbofa,

Chief Blessing Kayode, Professor David Ijalaye and Mr. R.A

Olagunju. May the good Lord continue to keep them in good

health and soundmind. Also, we should acknowledge the

invaluable contributions of Chief Olu Falae,Prince F.I

Adesanoye, (then Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of

Defence and later the Osemawe of Ondo), late General Alfred

Aduloju, late Lt. Akintunde Akinsehinwa (ADC to late General

Murtala Mohammed), late Chief Olu Akinfosile and late Chief

Akin Deko.

DREAM OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS

The core dream of our founding fathers was to ensure that

Ondo State achieve a development trajectory that would be in

consonance with the state’s vast human and natural

resources within a federal system of government. Our

founding fathers wanted to bring development nearer to the

people.

IN THE BEGINNING

Before the Oil Boom of the 1970s, Ondo Province had

consistently contributed enormously to the economy of the

now defunct Western State. Archival records show that of

Cocoa, we produced 48.3% in 1969/70, 49.1% in 1970/71,

and 47.3% in 1971/72. Of Palm Oil, we produced 68.1% in

1968, 78.3% in 1970, and 57.4% in 1971. Of Timber, we

produced 67.7% in 1967, 44.3% in 1968 and 61.9% in 1969.

However at the point of creation, not much could be pointed to

as evidence of infrastructural intervention by successive

governments of the defunct Western State despite the

immense contributions of the Ondo Province. In any case, the

viability of Ondo State has never been in doubt.

The beginning of Ondo State, particularly in the setting up of

its PublicService and governmental structure, was like any

other beginning -that is, lacking in most of the basic

essentials of administrative take-off.In fact, personnel from

Ibadan, the erstwhile capital of the defunct Western State,

were deployed to give Ondo State, its base of administrative

staff.

However, from being an agglomeration of single-digit

ministries at its creation in 1976 whose rented offices were

scattered all over Akure, Ondo, Ado-Ekiti and other towns

under the pioneer Governor, Wing Commander Ita David

Ikpeme, Ondo State Government has metamorphosed into a

much bigger institution – 22 Ministries, 24 Agencies, several

Commissions – with the attendant explosion in staff and

personnel. From a modest beginning at Oke-Eda, Akure,

which served as the seat of government, the pioneer

administration of David Ikpeme, commenced, in 1978, the

construction of the state Secretariat at Alagbaka.

Not only this, indigenes of the newly created Ondo State who

were hitherto civil servants in different parts of the Western

Region, relocated to the state, to form the bulk of the

workforce in the state’s public service. We therefore,

acknowledge the ingenuity of the pioneer technocrats who

quickly established governance structures in borrowed school

buildings, houses and make-shift structures. Several of them

shuttled daily from other towns like Owo, Ondo, Ikere and so

on to their offices.

We pay glowing tributes to the pioneer Secretary to the

Military Government and Head of Service, Chief Theophilus

Iwajomo and his successor, Chief E.A Emuleomo (both of

blessed memory) for their efforts and initiatives at laying a

solid foundation for the Ondo State Public Service. We also

appreciate the crop of Permanent Secretaries and Public

Servants that relocated from Ibadan as well as those that

joined the service at that early stage for their sacrifices and

contributions.

The civil populace was accommodating making several

sacrifices and calmly bearing the dislocation and demolition of

structures that were required in order to build a modern state.

The artisans, market women, taxi drivers, farmers, everyone

played memorable roles at the formative stages of the state.

So also, do we appreciate our traditional institutions and

religious leaders who galvanized their people to rally round

government at that critical time.

ONDO STATE, FORTY YEARS ON

In the intervening 40 years since the creation of our dear

State, we have had a chequered history of governance having

been ruled by 11 military officers out of the 16 governors to

have presided over the affairs of the state. Be that as it may,

military governance of the state only accounts for roughly 16

years while the regimes of the 5 democratically elected

governors made up the remaining 24 years of our history. In

addition to the deficit in democratic dividends caused by the

inappropriateness of military incursion into civilian

governance, the excessive turn-over in the number of military

governors caused a lot of policy inconsistencies which were

disruptive of long-term planning and development.

Nevertheless, rapid socio-economic development was soon to

follow the State creation as successive administrations

emplaced the needed infrastructure and social amenities,

improved agriculture, developed education and health

services, established Mass Media outlets, added value to the

Public Service and among other things, created employment

and strived to industrialise the state. Thereafter, commercial

activities took root and began to thrive. The magnetic allure of

our resource potentials especially in rock based minerals, Oil

and Gas, Tourism as well as human resources continued to

increase as more and more people flooded Ondo State, thus,

beginning our journey from a Province to A Place of Pride.

On October 1, 1996, Ekiti State was carved out of the old

Ondo State thus giving birth to a new Ondo State with 18

Local Government Areas.

To the glory of God, the State has continued to boast of

numerous sons and daughters that have excelled in their

various fields of human endeavours namely: Medicine, Politics,

Military, Entertainment, Sports, Bureaucracy, Human Rights

Activism, Law, Academics, Oil and Gas, Business, Journalism,

Information Technology, e.t.c. Ondo State and its citizens

have in no small measure contributed to National

Development.

For example, looking at the winners of the National Merit

Awards, one can say with pride that out of 60 Award winners

since the inception of that award, 11 Ondo State indigenes

have been recipients. This award is perhaps one of the

awards that have not been politicised in Nigeria, it is based

on merit.

As at today, Professor Sylvester Adegoke, Professor Ifedayo

Oladapo, Dr. Soji Oluwole, Professor Abiodun Francis Oluwole,

Professor Ladipo Akinkugbe, Dr. Akinola Aguda, Professor

Tolu Odugbemi, Professor Jacob Olupona, Dr. Ebenezer

Meshida, Professor (Mrs) Paulina Adebusoye and Professor

Ladipo Adamolekun, all proud indigenes of Ondo State have

received the National Merit Award. It is therefore evident that

in terms of quality manpower development for Nigeria, our

dear State tops the rank.

Similarly, the state has played crucial roles especially in the

areas of Education and Democratic development. It is on

record that we provided a veritable platform for the launch

and spread of Free Education in the Western Region thus

helping to establish the easiest window to escape from

poverty not only to the Yoruba race but the entire landscape

of Nigeria. Ondo State is also well known for supporting

progressive ideals at all times as the state has forever

remained the haven or better still, the de facto home of

progressive groups that championed the re-instatement of

democracy in Nigeria; namely Afenifere and NADECO.

The economy of Ondo State – one of the fairly large ones in

the country – is complemented by many kilometres of coastal

line. Basically agrarian, it is well known for large scale

production of food and cash crop. The State has intensified

efforts to catalyse industrial resurgence by building a 30

Megawatts Independent Power Plant which is nearing

completion. This is to improve power supply substantially to

industrial and commercial initiatives and propel anticipated

economic activities to unprecedented level in the coming

years.

In Nigeria, Ondo State has a high number of well-structured

public Schools including four state-owned tertiary institutions.

Noteworthy is the construction of world class Mega Primary

Schools across the three Senatorial Districts. Our State

Polytechnic ranks among the best in Nigeria both in terms of

academic performance and infrastructure. Similarly, one of

our State Universities, the Adekunle Ajasin University,

Akungba-Akoko has been severally adjudged as the best

State University in Nigeria. Also, the Ondo State University of

Science and Technology, Okitipupa is widely celebrated for its

entrepreneurial programmes. Recently, we established a

University of Medical Sciences in Ondo, the first in the history

of Nigeria and one of the best in terms of the ratio of students

to available medical facility.

The present Administration has kept faith with the promise to

work for the people of Ondo State.

Today, Ondo State is not only a global benchmark in a couple

of initiatives, the diligent and sincere implementation of our

programmes has attracted the commendation of statesmen

throughout the nation even across political divides, and

elicited public acknowledgement of our modest achievements.

Some of these initiatives include, but not limited to, the Abiye

Safe Motherhood Programme, Mother and Child Hospitals,

Trauma & Surgical Centre, Kidney Care Centre, Urban

Renewal Programme, modern neighbourhood markets, the

ultra-modern Automart, Water supply schemes, Housing

Estates, School Free Shuttle Scheme and the emplacement of

over 600 community-driven projects e.t.c. The State now has

an International Event Centre otherwise known as The Dome

which is fast becoming the cynosure of all eyes.

I wish to salute all my illustrious predecessors namely: Ita

David Ikpeme, Esijolomi Tuoyo, Adekunle Ajasin, Bamidele

Otiko, Mike Akhigbe, Ekundayo Opaleye, Olabode George,

Abiodun Olukoya, Bamidele Olumilua, Mike Torey, Ahmed

Usman, Anthony Onyearugbulem, Moses Fasanya, Adebayo

Adefarati and Olusegun Agagu for a job truly well done. They

built an enduring legacy and left a burning and bright torch

that I am proud to hold aloft.

CONCLUSION

Given the vicissitude of fortunes that Ondo State has

witnessed in its 40-year existence so far, I believe, like many

indigenes of the state, that we have done well. We have not

only benchmarked programmes and projects for other states

in the health sector, urban renewal, education, wealth creation

and other sectors we have, succeeded in making Ondo State

an unfolding destination of choice for entertainment and

medical tourism. We have emplaced programmes and

instituted policies that the future generation will applaud and

we have laid an irreversible path to progress in Ondo State.

With all sense of humility, you are witnesses to the fact that

we have recorded a lot of changes since forty years ago and

that together, we have posted great accomplishments.

Therefore as we regard the past with nostalgia and a sense of

accomplishment, we must look forward to the future and the

challenges it brings with hope, enthusiasm and the

expectation that the future will be brighter and more fulfilling.

Notwithstanding the current challenges confronting our

country, such as falling oil price, high unemployment rate,

infrastructural deficit; we must never give in to despondency

or fault finding. Instead, we must re-invent our resilience,

industry, innovativeness and ingenuity in order to overcome

the prevailing challenges and build a richer and better future.

It is the bounden duty of this generation of Ondo State

indigenes and residents to bequeath to future generations, a

society that works and thrives; a society that compares

favourably with its contemporary communities across the

globe.

My good people of Ondo State, I identify with you in this

period of relative hardship occasioned by a dip in our national

economy; I empathize with you on some of the privations of

life caused by irregularities in salaries and delays in

emoluments and I am aware of the causal linkage to the

state’s economy.

Rather than a feeling of despondency, I exhort every one of us

to have an unshaking confidence in Gods benevolence and be

sure that the sacrifice of today will herald a better tomorrow.

Let us continue to dream big. Let us continue to work with

imagination and creativity. Our future is assured but the work

must continue.

Like I said at my Second Inaugural address to you on the

24th of February 2013: "that our job is not finished until

• every child has access to quality education in a 21st century

environment that is deliberately-structured to bridge the

global digital divide and take our children to the cyberspace

where information and knowledge now truly reside;

• until our people have unfettered access to affordable quality

health care services especially the vulnerable group: pregnant

women, infants and the aged;

• until there is food security in every home and that every

child is guaranteed access to nutritious food for maximum

development of their inherent cerebral power;

• until every youth is usefully engaged and able to generate

wealth for self-fulfilment and the collective good of our

society;

• until we are able to leverage on our God-given resources to

create a conducive atmosphere for businesses and industries

to thrive;

• until our cities, suburban communities and villages are well

organized, clean and functional, making them conducive to

optimal work and play and that our sandy shores become

true tourist havens; and,

• until Nigeria, our dear country, becomes a secure and

developed member of the global community along the

principles and practice of true federalism.”

My sincere appeal to all and sundry is to join hands with us

to sustain our efforts at building a place of pride.

I wish you all happy 40th anniversary.

DR. OLUSEGUN MIMIKO

GOVERNOR OF ONDO STATE

FEB. 3, 2016