The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and former Secretary to the Ondo State Government (SSG), Hon. Isaacs Kekemeke, has officially joined the 2024 governorship race in the state.
Kekemeke who made the declaration at a news Conference on Tuesday held at the NUJ Press Centre, Alagbaka Akure, pointed out that it is high time the state dropped pettiness, low sentiments and prejudices in running the affairs of the state.
The APC chieftain who is the Pioneer Board Chairman of the National Examination Council (NECO), said he had enough experience to enable him lead Ondo State to a place of socio-economic prosperity and peace.
The APC Aspirant said the state had suffered enough and must not elect a roadside leader.
Kekemeke, the Pioneer Ondo State APC Chairman, said, the state needs a leader without sentiment, “As a state, we can no longer afford to amuse ourselves with bare pettiness, low sentiments, and prejudices that have rudely arrested our growth and development. We need a leadership for the State, a leadership not only for a segment of the State but for the whole State. We don’t need a roadside governor.
Below is the full text of his declaration;
A PRESS CONFERENCE AND PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF THE LEKELEKE AGENDA OF PROSPERITY AND PEACE IN ONDO STATE BY HON. D. I. KEKEMEKE DELIVERED ON APRIL 2ND 2024 AT THE NUJ PRESS CENTRE ALAGBAKA, AKURE, ONDO STATE.
ONDO 2024: WHY I AM RUNNING
Four years ago, under the inspiration of God, I constituted the Lekeleke Movement, to declare my aspiration to run for the Governorship of Ondo State on the platform of our great Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). I did not do so out of mere pleasuré, I did not do it out of trivial and momentary impulse. I did so out of divine inspiration with strong conviction that a better and greater Ondo state is possible.
To that extent, I traversed the length and breadth of the Sunshine State with a clear Vision: “To create a prosperous and peaceful State where citizens find work to do and thereby live meaningfully and comfortably”.
I ran with a singular Mission; it was: “With the aid of science, technology and information, maximally impact government revenue on the human and natural endowments of the State to create wealth.”
I had a sole Aim, to wit: “To make government seeable, touchable and feelable, so much so that the pain of one will be the pain of all”.
The programmes of the campaign were centred on the People. It has always been my belief that the only business of Government is ensuring the wellbeing and welfare of the people, therefore, the theme of the campaign was, “THE PEOPLE FIRST”.
The objective was to fully deploy the entire governmental power to wage war against Hunger, Poverty, Unemployment, Insecurity and decayed basic infrastructure. The Campaign formulated goals for the government it intended to birth. The goals were aptly referred to as LEKELELE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (LDG). We ran the campaign on the core values of Competence, Commitment and Character.
In the full circle of that primary election, we completely won the hearts of the people of Ondo State though we lost the primary election.
Today, more than ever before, our dear State Is in dire need of experienced leadership armed with the Vision, Mission, Aim, Programmes, Goals, Objectives and core Values that we put forward. There Is no iota of doubt that we are even better equipped than we were four years ago.
It is obvious to all that our State is politically challenged and is thus frequently in the news zone for the wrong reasons. The ship of State faces a tough whirlwind and needs an experienced captain thoroughly schooled in party administration and governance.
I dare say, as always, that the,envisioned progress of our dear Sunshine State can only be realized through perceptive and deliberate efforts of party men, women and citizens who see beyond the limiting haze of “prebendal politics” to the noble and elevating Ideals of development politics. We should not be conditioned to the reflexes of religion, tribe and fleeting monetary gains.
As a state, we can no longer afford to amuse ourselves with bare pettiness, low sentiments, and prejudices that have rudely arrested our growth and development. We need a leadership for the State, a leadership not only for a segment of the State but for the whole State. We don’t need a roadside governor.
Ondo state needs a leadership that sufficiently understands the philosophy of the present Federal government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and its Renewed Hope programme for effective partnership and collaboration; a leadership that will uphold the tenets and ideals of good governance bequeathed to us by Chief Obafemi Awolowo and PA Michael Adekunle Ajasin and others.
I have received enquiries from far and near, from within and outside of Ondo state on my take in the Ondo 2024 governorship election. Others have pungently urged me to run. I am grateful for these concerns. Today, I stand humbly before you to affirm my participation in the governorship primary election of our great Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) slated for April 20, 2024.
I offer myself as a man tested and prepared to take on this onerous task of steering the affairs of our state as Governor. My antecedents and pedigree recommend me. My services to our state in the past and even now is my testimonial. Evidently, as former Secretary to State Government (SSG), former Attorney General, former Commissioner, Works, Lands and Housing, Minority Leader in the State House of Assembly, National Examinations Council Board Chairman, pioneer APC State Chairman, and at present APC National Vice Chairman South-West, I have not let you down.
Our codified programs elaborately set out in our agenda for prosperity and peace which we unveil today will ensure an industrial take-off of Ondo State through prioritised investrnent in human and natural endowments in the State, change its current “Civil Service” status, grow the revenue base of the State with corresponding increase in government spending for the good of the people.
We offer free and compulsory primary education, free secondary school education, highly subsidised tertiary education, quality health services for all including the establishment of a pharmaceutical company and the “Ibile” hospital. Our program includes availability of food and employment opportunities through the civil farmer (agbe olowo osu) and the establishment of small scale agro-allied industries.
Boosting tourism through. the Idanre hilltop road, Fagunwa literary village, rehabilitation of Ebomi lake and transformation of our beautiful Araromi seaside will be undertaken. As can be gleaned from our program, the protection and promotion of the interest of our women and youth through intentional programs of interest free loans and empowerment are a priority.
The Ondo state of my dream is one where we make business and create jobs for our teaming youth out of every of our natural resource. The state of my dream is a state where no one needs to see or know the governor or anyone in government to feel the impact of the government.
| thank you for listening to your next governor. God bless Ondo State and God bless Nigeria.
