The governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, on Saturday, said the free education policy introduced by the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, remained the greatest legacy of the Southwestern region.
Mimiko, who spoke at the commissioning of the Labour Party (LP) secretariat in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, eulogised Awolowo for making education accessible to the common man.
Mimiko, who was in company of the former governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel, and the party’s National Chairman, Barrister Dan Nwanyawu, led thousands of party faithful from all the 20 council areas of the state to the event.
He argued that any government where people could not afford basic tuition fees could not be described as progressive.
According to him, “If not for Papa Awolowo’s free education, those in government today would not even get close to the government house.
“The greatest legacy we have in the Southwest today is that somebody made education accessible to everybody irrespective of their background.
“If there is a government where some people cannot go to the university because they cannot pay, that government is not a progressive,” he stated.
The governor promised the party’s support for President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 polls, urging well-meaning Nigerians to intensify their prayers for him in the face of daunting security challenges.
Daniel in his remarks said the party had resolved to work for Jonathan’s victory in the next presidential election, asking Nigerians to pray for him.
“We are praying for President Jonathan. For us, we’ll work for President Jonathan. I have the permission of our people that by the special grace of God rather than harass the government of the day, we want everybody to go out and support President Jonathan,” he said.
Tribune.