The governor of Osun, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, with a few months to complete his second term in office, has said that the only regret he has as a governor is that his administration coincided with that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration at the centre, between the year 2010 and 2015.
He described the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan as the worst in the history of Nigeria, adding that the country experienced the most terrible economic life under his administration.
Aregbesola stated this during an interactive programme tagged “Ogbeni Till Daybreak” in Osogbo.
Aregbesola, while responding to questions from journalists, said the literary response to the question of regret as a governor could mean that he has no regret.
His words’: “If I have to answer you literally, I don’t regret being a governor but philosophically, the only regret I have is that my administration coincided with the PDP-led administration.
“As a matter of fact, PDP superintended the most irresponsible government in Nigeria; it was the most traumatised era in the history of Nigeria.
“If I have had the opportunity of working with serious government at the Federal level between 2011 and 2015, it would have been an Eldorado,” Aregbesola said.
The Governor reiterated his resolve to complete all his projects before the end of the tenure in November, saying that he has surpassed all his predecessors in the area of infrastructural development.
Aregbesola said the quality of interchange bridge his administration built at Gbongan, along the Ibadan-Ilesa express way remains one of the best in the country, arguing that such a project could only be seen in metropolitan cities like Lagos, Kano, and Port Harcourt.
He, however, complained about the size of the civil service in the state, noting that the state accommodates the largest number of pensioners in the South West region.
“We inherited a very large civil service and pensioners since the state contributed the largest number of civil servants during Western region, and the Western state”.
Aregbesola, while reacting to the question of the possibility of absolving those on temporary employment, known as “OYES Cadets” he said no state in the country has the capacity to employ all its citizens.
He therefore promised to continue to gainfully engage the citizens for better life. – Vanguard.
