By Jamiu Ganiyu
The former governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has disclosed the motivation behind some of his policies which he said was his commitment to the prosperity of the majority of the citizens of Osun without disregarding the minority.
Aregbesola made this known Saturday at a virtual colloquium organised by a group of individuals in commemoration of the Osun former helmsman 63rd birthday themed: Government Unusual: Innovative Economic Solutions to Unlock Mass Prosperity
While responding to one of the questions asked by the Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Bagudu, which borders on the risk Aregbesola took as Governor to have impacted so many lives, he said, “My motivation was primarily the people, right from my teenager, my teenage age, I had had this commitment to being part of a process that would lighten the burden of the majority of the people.”
“I could not stand poverty and the misery associated with poverty, therefore, early in life, I had known that government particularly in the west bordered much about a tiny minority which we can call elites, privileged few, disregarding the majority and that was what was we brought here as modern government during colonialism and that was the path we have been taken i.e catering for a tiny few believing that the success of the tiny few will trickle down to the majority”
“I simply reversed it, I simply sort to attend to the majority without disregarding the minority but putting much efforts at making the majority happy and properly motivated”
“That was the risk, the risk was that motivation which was directed at paddling the means of the majority, encouraging them to swell themselves and using them as a tool for development.” he concluded.
The virtual conference had in attendance Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, Governor of Kebbi State, Otunba Titi-Laoye Ponle, Osun former Deputy Governor, Dr. Yemi Cardoso, Chairman Citi Bank Nigeria, Mrs. Hajara Adeola, CEO, Lotus Capital, Mr. Bismark Rewane, CEO, Financial Derivatives, Dr. Yemi Kale, while Boason Omofaye moderated the conference.