Date Published: 05/05/09

Mimiko Tackles Critics: They are Pipers for Past Ignominious Administration

List Achievements in Two Months

The two months old administration of Dr.Rahman Segun Mimiko of Ondo State, South West, Nigeria has laid the foundation for one thousand, three hundred and fifty low cost housing units.

Reacting to pointblanknews.com’s performance monitoring initiative on Monday. Governor Mimiko replied his critics, especially, the State chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and National Union of Road Transport Workers (N.U.R.T.W) that he is working very hard “the pain of those unions particularly the N.U.R.T.W, is that he have freed our people from their tyranny and shameful bloodletting”

According to Mimiko, those who accuse him of politicking and non-performance completely miss the point “claiming we have performed the ground – breaking and foundation laying ceremonies for one thousands, three hundred and fifty low cost housing unit” in Oba- Ile (Akure South Local Government) and at Oda in Akure South Local Government.

“We are changing the face of Akure, our capital city to compete effectively with any modern city in the world, in the 6 years of the ignominious leadership of those who are paying and dictating the tone of these pipers, they cannot match what we have done in two months”

The Governor explains that by way of specifics, the Oyemekun-Ilesha road of the State capital is receiving complete asphalt resurfacing.

He said that he has entered into dialogue with seasoned construction giants on the channelization of Ala River in the capital city so as to “bring an end to seasonal flooding”

He said this would culminate in the creation of a huge artificial lake. “we shall properly funnel harvested rain water throughout the state to make pipe-borne water to flow 24 hours 7 days a week all year round”

Governor Mimiko said that he was elected by the people of Ondo State and the sectional interests of the unions are not greater than the welfare of the generality of our people.

He said that his government has provided so far a total of 20 bore-holes “we are maintaining existing urban infrastructures like street light, and good roads making sure that they are well maintained saying goodbye to the ugly culture of allowing things to decay”

He said that he did not understand the reason behind the negative campaigns against him in the media.

His spokesman, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi said that the NLC in Ondo State wanted the governor to scrap the newly created Ministry of Labour, employment and productivity on the ground that such a ministry should be on the exclusive legislative oversight of the Federal Government.

Olabisi said that the administration in Ondo State is not legislating, “We are executing our people’s mandate”

Mr. Olabisi said that it was not fair to want to hold the administration to ransom through what he called the litany of demands and wage increases which would divert attention from “the urgent needs for infrastructural development and economic empowerment of the people”

He denied any knowledge of the internal politics of the road transport worker’s union, saying that the only thing we told them was that we take the sanctity of the lives of Ondo State citizens seriously and that they should not allow themselves to be used to endanger lives.

He said that the Unions should also appreciate the arrangement being negotiated by the government of the state through which one hundred students and workers from the State would enjoy international exchange programme for better productivity and global competitiveness. “There would be substantial development by the time we turn hundred days, we have already laid a solid foundation”