My Pact And Contract With The Good People Of Ondo State, By Victor Adekanye Olabimtan, APC Guber Aspirant

My good people of Ondo State,

Consequent upon widespread consultations propelled by the reminiscence of yesterday, the doldrums of today and passionate desire for an exciting tomorrow, all of which resulted in my decision to submit myself to be used by God for the restoration of our dear state, to the place of glory by God’s grace and your support, I hereby present to you my pact and contract with the good people of Ondo state. These I am convinced are areas of critical intervention which “our government” intends to pursue if elected, and sworn-in come 2017.

The present realities of Ondo State today is worrisome. The last six years have been very tragic such that an average Ondo State resident has lost faith in the sincerity of the government. We now have despair and disillusionment in place of hope and optimism, retrogression and backwardness in place of progress and development. An atmosphere of despondency be hh   now prevails because of insufficient and corrupt leadership. Inspite of over 500 billion naira that had accrued to Ondo state from various sources, our educationsector is in a very poor state; public infrastructure are decadent and our finances in a serious mess with a debt burden of over 100 billion naira.

Leadership recklessness and profligacy have brought us down from a financially buoyant state in February 2009 to a present state of abject indebtedness. Ondo State today is littered with neglected and abandoned projects of past and present administration. The legacies of our heroes past have been systematically decimated.

We need not lose hope, rather we must take our faith in our hands as I believe, OndoState can rise again. I have no doubt that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country or state can change it with their resolute commitment and determination to enshrine good governance. This should be our common challenge.

For these, I offer my service to the good people of Ondo State at this very critical moment. I want to be your Chief servant in 2017 through your supports and votes. I was once a teacher, and had also served as Chairman of the Teaching Service Commission. I have therefore been close to the grassroots to know their problems. I have been a Legislator and a Speaker of the Ondo state House of Assembly which has afforded me deep insight into the art of governance, knowledge and familiarities with the problems and aspirations of the people of Ondo state. I have equally served as a Commissioner representing Ondo, Ekiti and Edo states at the Federal Civil Service Commission. I am therefore not a neophyte in public service matters as I have been sufficiently familiar with the public / civil service which is the machinery through which government policies and programs are carried out.

VISION STATEMENT

• To lay solid foundation and chart a new course, for the advancement of Ondo state.
• To establish a virile and sustainable structure for service delivery, integrity, transparency, equity, fairness, justice, peace and security.
• To be committed to the welfare and general well-being of the people.

OUR MISSION

• To rescue and draw back the state from the edge of the precipice and near total collapse where the inefficient and ineffective leadership has driven it to.
• To develop Ondo state for the general good and overall well-being of the residents without any discrimination whatsoever.
• To remove wastages and wage war against corruption, so that the citizenry can once again trust and have belief in their leaders and the government.

ACTIONS FOR POLICY OBJECTIVES

In accomplishing the set goals, my guiding philosophy shall be the oneness and unity of the state, equality before the law, respect for and abiding with the tenets of democracy, social and economic justice for all and finally the fear of God which we all accept to be the beginning of wisdom. In this regard, I have therefore committed myself to an agenda to actualize my vision and mission for our dear state.

ONDO STATE OF OUR DREAM

The task to make things work and develop Ondo State is a collective responsibility. Therefore our mandate will provide good governance, foster conducive business environment, and make the pursuit of peace and prosperity a unifying factor for allresidents of the state. Our team is committed to empowering the public service to deliver efficient services and to promote the restoration of infrastructure, jobs and economic growth. In pursuance of these, we shall focus on the following SIX priority areas:

1. GOOD GOVERNANCE

ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY

We shall institute the three tenets of Probity, Accountability, and Transparency (PAT) as a government policy. We believe that our state public service needs to be motivated and restored to its previous high standard. An improved public service will lead to enhancement in service delivery, transparency and accountability. Our government will empower the civil service for effective and efficient service delivery through reforms, whilst reducing corruption, eliminating duplication of functions and minimizing waste of public resources. We shall attract the best and brightest into our public service while training and retraining existing personnel will be a priority.

We shall undertake a wholesome budgetary reform that will ensure the reduction of overheads and waste, raise capital expenditure and observe budgetary discipline in accordance with existing laws. Enhance accountability and stop the under-declaration of revenue that should go into the consolidated revenue fund and the State-Local Government Joint Account, thereby increasing resources available to the local government. Pursue rigorous implementation and compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility and Public Procurement Acts and faithfully apply sanctions for non-compliance.

ECONOMIC PLANNING

We are committed to a proper financial and statistical planning on the needs of Ondo state. We shall pursue and implement purpose-driven economic policies to grow the state GDP through the following;

• Ensuring real time on line access to actual position of the state finances to prevent misuse and other forms of abuse by receiving agencies.

• Reducing leakages in the tax collection and administration process.

• Running a transparent and accountable government, ensuring prudent management of the state resources.

• Ensuring that the funds of the state are used for development purposes.

• Creating viable Public Private Sector partnership to jump start the economy.

• Reducing dependence on federal allocation as a means of funding government.

ADMINISTRATION

The purpose of government in any society is to administer the common wealth of the people for the benefit of all. Our government will be people centered. We shall strive to build a better and just society, where hard work and honesty are rewarded, equity, fairness and justice prevail, and where no segment of the society develops at the expense of others.
Local Government: This tier is the closest to the people and therefore its purpose and independence shall be our priority. We shall therefore ensure that at all times our local government is managed by people elected by the electorate. We will ensure that on a monthly basis local government gets the full amount due to it from the federation and state accounts so that custodians can use such funds for the development of their areas.Our vision is that each local government will be as desirable as the state capital in terms of infrastructure, social life, access to amenities and economic viability. This we believe will ultimately help check rural urban drift and give every citizen in the state an equal sense of belonging.

Civil Service: The once virile Ondo State Civil service, has been battered by ineffective leadership. There is the need to re-structure and reposition the Civil service for the daunting tasks ahead of all of us. Our government will ensure a civil service that is responsive, efficient and well-motivated being the engine room of any administration. Our reform will make the work environment more conducive, stimulating and rewarding. In addition to these, our civil service policy will include:

• Regular promotion and capacity building.
• Strengthen and adequately fund the Home Ownership Scheme for public servants.
• Comprehensive review of civil service structures as part of our efforts to create a people friendly civil service.

2. EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

EDUCATION

Promote affordable, qualitative and functional education: The policy of our administration will be free, qualitative and compulsory basic and secondary education for all children in the state. We shall not deviate from the global operating standard as stipulated by the United Nations for successful teaching and learning. Our educational policies and programs are aimed at eradicating illiteracy in OndoState, ensuring every child gets at least nine years of free basic education, improving infrastructure and tools, while attracting the best people in character and learning to the teaching profession. In addition we shall revive and expand all vocational centers for technical skills acquisition, and also address the needs of the physically-challenged who require special education.

BASIC EDUCATION: A child’s right to education should not be denied irrespective of background. Education is the greatest gift any responsible government can give to the society. Our government will therefore:

Ensure that teachers are qualified and adequately trained to impact knowledge to our children.

• Ensure that books are available in our school libraries through a deliberate policy of periodic stocking of libraries with textbooks.
• Ensure that the curriculum is critically examined and if need be reworked to meet global standards.
• Ensure that computer education is a compulsory part of the curriculum in all schools.
• Improve incentives to teachers and work with all stakeholders to restore the dignity of the teaching profession and improve school administration.
• Ensure full implementation and enforcement of the Universal Basic Education Act with specific emphasis on tuition-free, compulsory basic education for every child living in Ondo State
• Fix all collapsed and abandoned educational infrastructure in our schools.
• Establish special home ownership scheme for teachers.
• Promote and support programs that give special attention to education of girl-child.
• Improve the literacy level of the society through special attention to adult education.

SECONDARY EDUCATION: Our Government will re-organize secondary educationsystem to be in tune with modern trends and technology. We will rebuild our education system to focus on the followings:

Free and qualitative education in all secondary schools.

• Guarantee that the existing secondary institutions will receive the required attention to ensure quality education in all our schools.
• Develop effective use of innovative teaching methods in secondary schools utilizing the latest technologies and teaching tools.
• Build and equip more libraries in schools and community centers with access to online educational and enlightenment materials throughout the state.
• Learning environment and quality of teachers will be improved to increase professionalism and raise the quality of secondary school graduates.
• Institute workable reward system for teachers and appropriate trainingprovisions to improve their competence.
• Ensure constant inspection and enforcement of performance standards.
• Promote and support institutions that impart life-long skills for all, in and out of formal schooling.
• Promote inter-schools competitive programs.

TERTIARY EDUCATION: Our tertiary institutions will be upgraded and maintained to compete favorably with others through the followings;

• Effective funding of all tertiary institutions in Ondo state without discrimination or favoritism.
• Ensure full optimization of the capacity of existing technical and commercial colleges, and expand where necessary.
• Encourage innovative learning and research, through collaboration and exchange programs with tertiary institutions within and outside the country.
• Make our University Education entrepreneurial and result oriented.
• Promote and support science and technology
• Facilitate retooling and skills transfer programs for unemployed youths to make them self-employed or employable and productive citizens.
• Support, encourage and mentor student unionism in all our tertiary institutions to restore its loss glory.
• Encourage students to be constructively involved in policy formulation by making sure that they are heard and carried along on all student affairs matters, affecting their institutions.
• Ensure free, fair, credible and rancour-free Student union elections without government interference in all our tertiary institutions.

SCHOLARSHIP AND BURSARY

• We shall undertake a situation assessment of the Ondo State Scholarship Scheme for effective delivery of its mandate.
• Our government will execute a merit based scholarship program where every student of Ondo state origin in any tertiary institution with a CGPA of 2:1 or its equivalent will automatically qualify for scholarship.
• Our bursary program will be easy to access as adequate and dedicated provision will be made for it every year with appropriate and periodic review.

HEALTH

Our government will be absolutely committed to the health and well-being of the people. The policies and programs are aimed at first, reducing incidence of diseases through promotion and enforcement of environmental sanitation and preventive healthcare. We shall pay special attention to the development of diagnostic and curative capacities of our primary and secondary health facilities. Maternal and child mortality is a global sensitive issue and so rather than just create specialized hospitals for pregnancy issues, every hospital will be made both mother and child friendly such that every hospital from specialist to Basic Health Centres in all nooks and crannies of Ondo State will be adequately equipped with qualified, experienced personnel and facilities to ensure that all pregnant women in the state, experience easy and successful delivery. We shall create access to healthcare for all our citizens through a well-managed and properly funded Comprehensive Healthcare Delivery System (CHDS). To achieve these, we shall:

• Provide effective and accessible health care for all.
• Provide efficient accident and emergency ambulance service.
• Provide primary health clinics in each ward with special attention to the needs of children, women and the elderly.
• Provide functional and mother and child friendly general hospitals in every Local Government Area.
• Establish free blood pressure and sugar level checks center in every governmenthealth facility.
• Create a comfortable and conducive work environment for all health personnel across the state.
• Raise the quality of all general hospitals through deliberate investments in infrastructure, diagnostic equipment and continuous professional development of personnel.
• Focus on preventive health care through continuous immunization, improved environmental sanitation, fumigation of high risk areas, and nutritional enlightenment programs and the improvement of diagnostic and curative capacities.
• Create one tertiary (specialist) hospital in each of the Senatorial Districts.
• Implement aggressive policies to reduce infant and maternal mortality, including the provision of free care in public health facilities to the following vulnerable groups:

(i) Ante-natal care for pregnant women

(ii) Babies and children up to the age of 5

(iii) The elderly above the age of 65

(iiii) Those afflicted with infectious diseases such as Ebola, Leprosy, Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and the likes.

• Provide health insurance scheme for all residents to enable them enjoy reliable and quality health care.
• Encourage active health investment and partnership with international healthcare groups and other tertiary health institutions to eliminate the need for medical tourism abroad.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND WELFARE

Our administration will create enabling environment for the youths, women, artisans,aged and trade unions by giving them unhindered opportunities to excel and contribute to the growth of the economy. Our social development and welfare policies will include the design and implementation of a sustainable safety net for vulnerable groups, timely pension payment for our senior citizens and programs to engage the youths of Ondo State in productive activities, encouraging competition and excellence and the pursuit of careers in sports, entertainment and other vocations. Our social development and welfare policies shall provide for:

Children: Guarantee the protection of children, the safety of every child, particularly the rights of the vulnerable, such as street children, trafficked children, Children with disabilities, criminalize child labor and enforce the Child Abuse Law in the State.

Youths: We shall provide opportunities for Ondo state youths to realize, harness, and develop their full potentials and to facilitate the emergence of a new generation of citizens committed to the sustenance of good governance and service to the people and the country. Our key priority will be getting the larger majority of our youths into entrepreneurship to bring the productive population of our state into contributing to the nation’s economy.

We shall deliberately provide recreational/sports centers and parks for our public schools and public places to guarantee the mental balance of every youth and promote quality labor force for the future. We shall reform every aspect of the juvenile justice system dealing with children in conflict with the law. Our focus for the young adults is massive job creations, responsible living and encouragement to contribute to societal development.

Women: We shall ensure that the rights of women are protected as enshrined in our Constitution, guarantee that women are adequately represented in government appointments and provide greater opportunities in education, job creation and economic empowerment. Our women will be encouraged to contribute to economic development by giving them the opportunity to access 40% of positions available in government based on merit. We shall support and empower our women folk by strengthening the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Women Affairs to enable greater attention and effectiveness in its coordination of women development matters across ethnic, linguistic, religious or other sectional divides; to empower them financially through skills acquisition and robust funds support scheme.

We shall commit to the needs/issues that concern widows, single parents and disadvantaged / challenged women (including enforcing the protection of women against Domestic Violence as enshrined in the Domestic Violence Law 2007 and supporting the Nigeria Women’s Charter that details policy expectations and commitment on issues related to the improvement of the lives of women). In addition to these, work out a tax-incentive plan for women in business to encourage greater participation by women in the economy, and implement a policy of equal opportunity for women and men in the party structure and government.

Market-women and markets administration: We shall strengthen our existing markets, build new ones and encourage our market women to make good use of the markets. The Local Government Authorities (LGA) in our administration will be empowered to supervise and support the market women in the smooth running of the markets. Special loan schemes will be created for market women to support their business and reduce the bottlenecks associated with corporate loans from banks. Market women will also be encouraged to form cooperative societies that will make it easier for them to access federal government special grants for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME). Our administration will ensure that market women are consulted and have their voices heard always before decisions are taken on markets across the state.

Drivers, Okada-riders and Artisans: The contribution of Drivers, Okada-riders and Artisans to our economy cannot be ignored. Therefore our administration will give special attention to these groups of people by strengthening and empowering them. Our administration will create enabling policies for all Drivers, Okada-riders and Artisans to operate and excel in a rancor-free environment. The existing loan schemes for Drivers, Okada-riders and Artisans will be upgraded and strengthened to enable the scheme to reach more operatives and be more effective. Our government will not interfere in the election and running of Drivers, Okada and Artisans unions. We shall allow operatives to take full control and ownership of their unions within the confine of existing law to ensure peace and harmony among all operatives. Our administration will ensure that Drivers, Okada-riders and Artisans are consulted and have their voices heard always before decisions are taken on their business and operations.

The Aged: Our administration will ensure timely payment of benefits to all pensioners and design a sustainable safety net targeting the needs of all aged residents on the state. Provide social welfare for Senior Citizens (both male & female) in the short and long terms, as partakers in the overall resources of the State. Provide shelter homes/food courts with basic health facilities to be funded through a trust fund and support of the relevant stakeholders.

Our Government will support the formation of non-partisan Community-based Elder’scouncils, capable of providing guidance in management, moral and ethical development in our society. Our Government will seek elders’ guidance and advice as inputs to our policy formation and implementation. We will support the senior citizens and help in their management of socio economic problems peculiar to the group (pensions, health and education).

Less-privileged, Orphans and Disables: We shall protect and enforce the rights and privileges of all disadvantaged persons irrespective of age, sex and circumstances. Every orphaned, abandoned, disabled and less-privileged child will be the responsibility of our government. We will promote an effective collaboration between our government and the civil society organizations in this regard.

3. SECURITY, LAW AND ORDER

SECURITY

We believe that protection of lives and property of the people is the primary duty of the government. In this regard, we shall commit resources to a safe and attractive community to all residents and visitors alike by attacking the roots of insecurity and support the federal agencies responsible for maintaining law and order in the state. We shall partner and synergize with federal agencies to make Ondo state the most secured state in Nigeria.In line with this affirmation our government shall:

• Respond to the operational needs of security agents through provision of mobility, surveillance and communication gadgets, protective gears and conducive working environment.
• Implement policies to promote harmonious coexistence to ensure that residents are free to live, work and worship as they wish in any part of the state irrespective of tribe, ethnic and religious affiliations.

LAW AND ORDER

Attribute of good governance are justice, equity and fair play. Our government therefore will be committed to the protection of the rights of every citizen and enforcement of all laws that allow peaceful co-existence of all persons in the State through the followings:

• Ensure speedy access to justice by all individuals in Ondo State, by reforming the courts system and procedural rules.
• Strengthen existing Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms andprovide free legal services to the oppressed and less-privileged in our society.
• Improve welfare packages of Judicial Officers and upgrade courts with modern ICT facilities.
• Ensure judicial autonomy.

4. INFRASTRUCTURE, INDUSTRIALIZATION, ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOB CREATION

The continuous neglect of infrastructure both in urban and rural areas has had heavy tolls on the socio-economic activities of the state and by consequence the welfare of our people. One of the first priorities of our government will be to reorganize and refocus state agencies responsible for provision of infrastructure. We shall commence immediate rehabilitation of township roads, rural roads, and provision of transformers amongst others. The state and local governments will work together in a coordinated manner to achieve accelerated infrastructure development.

Ondo State enjoys the advantage of being a major link (by road) between the south-west and other regions of the country and; of having the longest coastline in the West African sub-region, serving as access point to other seaports in Nigeria. We hope to leverage these endowments to grow the state’s economy and create jobs for our people. Our government will do all these through:

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

The policy trust of our government shall be to promote good, quality and purposeful infrastructure at the best of cost to government. Roads, water and electricity will be given greater priority with appropriate budgetary vote. We shall embark on a major statewide public works program to expand, upgrade and refurbish the infrastructural fabric of Ondostate, so that its residents can enjoy a better quality of life. The immediate focus shall bethe expansion of access to electricity and rehabilitation of our roads to ease urban and rural transportation. All existing intercity roads linking the major urban and farming centers of the state will be rehabilitated to motorable conditions. We shall strengthen the state agencies in charge of planning, environment and urban management to collaborate with local governments and municipalities to ensure that streets are cleaned, solid and liquid waste collected, processed and disposed off in an environmentally-sustainable manner.

INDUSTRIALIZATION THROUGH PPP

Our government will deliberately revive all moribund and abandoned industries using the public private partnership model whereby government equity will be minimal to enhance efficiency. The multiplier effects of job creation and tax payment will give the government and by extension, the state a good inflow of revenues.

Olokola Free Trade Zone: This is an initiative of a past government with a vision to liberate Ondo state economically. Forty (40) blue-chip organizations had at one timeshown interest to set up companies in the southern corridor of the state. Unfortunately the project was abandoned by the present administration. This project will be revisited to make it blossom. We envisage that the project will bring massive revenue and employment opportunities to the state with a considerable deployment of infrastructure from investors. We intend to pursue a policy that will form part of the MOU stipulating that 60% of employment in the companies must be given to Ondo state indigenes. This singular clause will reduce the rate of unemployment considerably. In addition, we shall empower our citizen to exploit economic opportunities within the zones.

Development of the non-oil Mineral Resources: Ondo State is blessed with abundant mineral resources, ranging from Bitumen to Ball Clay, Silica Sand, Kaolin, Limestone, Granite and several other mineral resources in commercial quantities. Our government will do things differently in this area. We will instigate a broad-based summit of experts, policy-makers, investors and other stakeholders within and outside the country, in collaboration with the federal government’s Ministry and Agencies in the Solid Mineral sector, to thoroughly examine the current state of this sector in the state with a view to recommending the appropriate lines of action for us to take in deriving the best possible benefits from these God-given resources. We hinge our hope on the established commitment of the APC national government to open up the Solid Mineral sector for the injection of private investments.

ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOB CREATION

The realities of the global economic down turn in the last few years have made it extremely important for governments to devise strategies of keeping very well afloat. Unfortunately in Nigeria, most state government rely almost absolutely on resources shared from the federation account monthly. Our administration will strive to ensure a clear departure from this situation through sound economic policies which will include rapid and focused industrialization of the state to create jobs and astronomically improve our internally generated revenue using a friendly and honest tax policy.

We shall vigorously pursue policies that will encourage and support business owners to establish industries and businesses in Ondo state to pave way for the much needed economic growth and job creation for our teaming youths. Ondo state people are peaceful, dignified and hardworking, who desire and deserve gainful employment for their children and themselves. It’s a widely known fact that no government can employ every job seeker. The key to reducing unemployment to the barest possible and to boost internally generated revenue anywhere is for the government to promote conducive atmosphere for trading, manufacturing and production. Our Government therefore shall among other things:

• Put in place a robust skills acquisition program to help small scale industries.
• Develop integrated industrial estates for mini, micro and large manufacturing enterprises in the three senatorial zones of Ondo State.

• Provide the estates with infrastructural facilities that reduce the cost of setting up industries (roads, electricity, water, and telecommunications).

• Provide incentives targeted at attracting manufacturers /investors.
• Re-invent the community based cooperative society to improve the economy of the rural populace.

5. AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

A fact that has continuously been ignored in our nation is the strategic place of agriculture in our collective desire for economic growth and employment generation. Our goal is to make agriculture the key driver of the economy of and the source of new jobs for our youths. Our government intends to empower the existing farmers, encourage new generation of farmers and support commercial agriculture by creating better access to land, farm inputs and machineries. To achieve these, our government shall therefore:

• Upgrade existing farm settlements and establish new and purpose built farm estate with all necessary social amenities.
• Help farmers massively in cultivation through provision of tools for mechanized farming.
• Improve the quality and quantity of cocoa and other cash-crops through provision of improved seedlings and agro-chemicals.
• Support farmers to attain increase in food production and better storage.
• Provide assistance to farmers in exploiting profitable markets and market opportunities for their products.

• Develop extensive farming in palm trees to strengthen existing ones and create fully integrated oil palm processing industry.
• Promote all-season farming through irrigation.
• Ensure the availability of agricultural extension workers to guide our farmers, and timely provision of fertilizers, chemicals and improved seedlings to our farmers at reasonable prices.
• Open up rural areas to enable farmers get their produce to town.
• Regenerate our forestry to restore its lost glory and economic viability.

6. HOUSING, ENVIRONMENT AND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

HOUSING

We consider home ownership a basic necessity and we will do everything possible to achieve this by the introduction of house ownership scheme to enable desiring individuals own houses. We shall restructure and strengthen Ondo State Housing Corporation to fulfil and deliver its mandate. In pursuance of these our government shall:

• Help Ondo state residents realize their dream of home ownership through special housing schemes.
• Actively support research and development on the use of local materials to force down building costs.
• Provide infrastructures like good road network, portable water and communal spaces for recreation and other social functions, which are major requirement for thriving estates.
• Provide a conducive environment for a private sector led estates in three senatorial districts of the state.

ENVIRONMENT

Our administration will put every effort in place to tackle and prevent the menace of flood and erosion in Ondo state. We will strategically partner with renowned waste management experts for effective and sustainable conversion of our waste to wealth through Public Private Sector Partnership (PPP). There will be an organized system of waste separation, collection, deposition and recycling. We intend to put in place a landscaping programs that will conform to professional standards in modern aesthetics and still remain environmentally friendly. Our vision is to embrace current scientific methods in controlling and managing our environment. Our government shall:

• Encourage private sector driven waste management and beautification schemes to rid our communities of filth which threaten public health.
• Work with the private sector to establish appropriate waste-to-wealth projects under a composite waste management policy in the three senatorial districts.
• Ensure strict compliance to layout designs and landscaping programs to prevent flood and erosion.
• Improve the enforcement of environmental/sanitation laws by expanding personnel, awareness and equipment.
• Encourage tree planting at all levels

CULTURE AND TOURISM

Our administration will develop tourism in line with our cultural values. We shall recognize and harness the unique culture and tradition of our various ethnic units with investment made to showcase them to the international communities. Ondo state is rich in culture but unfortunately the opportunities for wealth creation through tourism have beenlargely underexploited. We shall therefore:

• Develop Ondo State tourism potentials to its fullest to promote employment and wealth among the people.

• Encourage development of at least a tourist attraction in each senatorial district.

• Enhance the image of traditional rulers and institutions.

• Mobilize our traditional rulers to showcase the state tourism potentials toour people in the diaspora and the world at large.

CONCLUSION

The above are not just manifestos for the sake of writing article, they represent my covenant with the people of Ondo state. I pledge that if you elect me as Governor of Ondo State in the election of 2016, by the grace of God, you will find in me a diligent keeper of promises and restorer of hope.

I am humbled by the support, encouragement and goodwill I have received from our people throughout the length and breadth of the State. This has created huge expectations and momentum for change that can only be reciprocated with delivery on our promises and agenda. This manifesto is hinged on delivering a life more abundant for our people and well aligns with, the objectives of our great Party, the APC. It is a determination to get the best for our people. Our agenda is to align our systems, processes and outcomes to that of a modern state where things work for all.

I am therefore calling on all eminent and well-meaning sons and daughters of Ondo state who are true achievers and whose contributions and names are fondly etched in the hearts of many and dot the landmarks to join in this endeavor. It is a collective effort that requires every resident and indigene of Ondo state to contribute in generating ideas, vote for change, and support change. Let’s jointly make the sun shine again in our dear state. We need your opinions and support because we recognize that this vision is not achievable without you. We will conduct the act of governance with vision that will put our dear state on the path of peace, opportunity, and prosperity for generations to come. These require strong vision and strong leadership. A leadership with sincerity, purpose and character to drive that vision is achievable with your support.

I therefore offer myself as a symbol of that leadership and vision.

Thank you in anticipation of your valued supports.

Victor Adekanye Olabimtan

…….let’s jointly make the sun shine again!