…….2024: Why I Want to Govern Ondo – APC National Vice Chairman, Kekemeke
…… Interface with Retired Perm. Sec.
The National Vice Chairman (Southwest) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Isaac Kekemeke, has revealed his reasons for eyeing the governorship seat in Ondo State in the forthcoming 2024 poll.
Kekemeke, who is the pioneer chairman of APC in the coastal state said he is contesting the election to enable him genuinely and committedly utilize the people’s resources to directly impact their lives in a visible and sustainable manner.
He stated this on Friday in Akure at an interactive session with Association of Retired Permanent Secretaries, Retired Senior Civil Servants in the state.
The former Secretary to the State Government, SSG; ex-Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; former Commissioner for Works; former member of the State House of Assembly; and pioneer Chairman of the National Examination Council, NECO, said his vision is to clearly work with all patriots to create a prosperous and peaceful Ondo State where citizens are productively engaged to enable them live meaningful, comfortable and decent lives.
“While we aim to make government in Ondo State seeable, touchable and feel-able, our objectives are to use the entire governmental powers to fight hunger, poverty, joblessness, insecurity and a rescue of our decayed basic infrastructure.”
On education, Kekemeke said he will deliver free and compulsory primary and secondary education for the ultimate benefit of the State, adding that his government will subsidized tertiary education, most importantly for the the indigent students and bring back scholarships for hardworking students, including provision of quality and affordable health care.
“On education there would be free education for primary and secondary School students, there would be compulsory primary schooling for all children in Ondo State. We are going to encourage our students to attend technical school in other to learn more basically on entrepreneurship.
“The tertiary institution would experience a new dimension such a way that indigene payment would be lesser than people coming from other states.”
He also assured that his government will invest heavily in Agriculture as in the days of the Farm Settlements by Obafemi Awolowo, through innovative Civil Farmer programme to ensure self-sufficiency in food production and to earn meaningful income and provide the raw materials for the agro-based industries.
“We are going to cover education, entrepreneurship, industry management, agriculture and all sector of human resources development. My little time in Governance make me have knowledge of many things, we should be talking about government for the people, all money generated must remain the money of the people.
For retirees in the state, he said “there would be establishment of knowledge bank, for retired senior civil servants, those who that are still strong and mentally stable would be engaged so that would add value to government.
Earlier, the President, Association of Retired Civil Servants in Ondo State, Prince Bajowa Enouch said the group took a decision as elder Statemen and women who have seen it all, to identify the capability of all aspirants who want to lead the State.
“Having observed what has been happening in the recent times in Ondo State, lots of people have showed concern, and people have said there is no governance. Besides, lot of problems within the political space have emerged, and we took a decision as elder Statesmen, and women who have seen it all, to make sure in a little way as a way of giving back to our own people for making us what we are today to serve as facilitator trying to identify the capability of aspirants.
“We are satisfied with what the aspirant (Kekemeke) said, but words can be different from deeds, when politicians get to office, some of them do change but we’ve advised him to live according to his promise and do the right thing in the interest of the people and the interest of the state”, he added.
