Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Governor of Osun State has disclosed that the success recorded by his administration in the health sector will be difficult to surpass by any government in the state and beyond.
He said Osun remains the only state in Nigeria that has promoted mass participation in healthy living as being reflected in the number of health-related programmes and schemes institutionalized by his government in the last seven and half years.
Governor Aregbesola made the disclosure while leading thousands of Osun residents on endurance trek within Osogbo metropolis.
The 9.5 kilometre endurance trek which was put together by the Community Development Council and Community Development Association in the state began from the front of the State Government House enroute Alekunwodo, Olaiya, Asubiaro, Isale-Osun, Oja-Oba, Plantation Area, Sabo, Kola Balogun, Testing Ground, Omo-West, Ayetoro and ended at Osogbo City Stadium.
Aregbesola was flanked by his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, members of the State Executive Council, political leaders in the state, among other notable personalities in the state as he acknowledges cheers from the residents who trooped out enmasse to catch a glimpse of him.
Addressing the participants at the Stadium, Aregbesola said his administration has fulfilled the promises made to the residents of the state to champion their well-being through the provision of free and effective healthcare delivery.
He averred that the state government under his watch has implemented policies and programmes that had helped to enhance the living condition of every household in the state.
Governor Aregbesola rolled out the tremendous interventions his administration has made to promote healthy living, saying Osun remains the only state in Nigeria where hospitals were upgraded across the federal constituencies at a time.
Aregbesola identified regular endurance treks, weekly environmental sanitation, waterways dredging, procurement of refuse collection trucks and ambulances, among other health-related programmes implemented by his government as mechanisms that earned the state huge achievements in the health sector.
According to the Governor, Osun remains the only state in Nigeria where several interconnected and inter-related policies and programmes were designed to promote the good and healthy living of the citizenry without political colouration.
“Our administration has in the last seven and half years recorded huge success in every aspect of the economy, particularly in the health sector as being seen and acknowledged in our efforts, through the procurement of necessary health facilities such as drugs, ambulances, prompt and timely river/waterways channelization, enforcement of environmental sanitation and proper collection and disposal of refuse by the residents.
“We have demonstrated good leadership, we have shown the world that ‘health is wealth’ and this could be seen and justified through our achievements so far in this sector.
“We are doing all these to distinguish our state and reflect the good gesture by telling the whole world that no iota of development could be achieved if the health sector and well-being of the citizens are lacking.
“We have done so much to ensure that Osun is free from all forms on disease and this is a feat recorded through our prompt and swift response to anything that has to do with the healthy living and well-being of our people”, Aregbesola added.
Earlier in his welcome address, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, who doubles as the Chairman Planning Committee of the programme, Dr Surajudeen Ajibola Bashir, said the event was put together to appreciate the immense contributions of the Aregbesola’s administration in the last seven and half years.
Ajibola said the endurance trek was also aimed at demonstrating the unalloyed support of the residents of Osun to the present administration in the state.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Water Resources, Rural Affairs and Community Development, John Babatunde Ibirogba, extolled the Aregbesola’s administration for breathing life to rural and community centres in the state.
He said the Aregbesola’s administration has done excellently well at making lives more abundant and worthy of living for the citizens in all aspects of life.
Also, the State Chairman of the Community Development Council, Alhaji Abubakar Isa lauded the efforts of Aregbesola’s government in the provision of basic amenities across the rural areas and urban centres in the state.
Isa described the successes recorded by the present administration in rural and community development as unprecedented, saying Osun has never had it so good as it is presently.
Packaged by Rahman Salami
