Funmi Lawrence
The National leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Thursday commended Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for changing the fortunes of the State for good.
The National Secretary of NANS, Comrade Umaru Yussuf in a statement in Abuja described Governor Abiodun as the architect of modern Ogun State.
The student body particularly commended the Governor for his giant strides in road construction and rehabilitation, noting that, Governor Abiodun is the first Governor in the history of the State to have constructed and rehabilitated over 50 roads within one year in the State.
“From our investigations, so far, over 50 roads have been completed in the three Senatorial Districts of the State, with two of them already fitted with street lights. There are also 19 on-going road projects across the State.”
According to NANS, Governor Abiodun’s sincerity of purpose and sheer determination has changed the fortunes of the education sector for good.
The student body commended Governor Abiodun for his determination to complete all abandoned projects by his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, irrespective of the financial constraints being experienced by the state like every other States of the Federation, “in fact, the Governor has mobilised contractors back to the sites of all the projects and work has resumed back.”
“The Governor has been delivering on his campaign promises and for the past one year, all parts of the State have been experiencing unprecedented development.
“Immediately he assumed office, Governor Abiodun embarked on massive road construction and rehabilitation across the three Senatorial Districts of the State among which are Itokin-Ibefun-Ijebu Ode road, Iperu-Ilisan road, Sango-Ojodu Abiodun road, Ilaro-Owode road, and Abeokuta-Sango-Ota-Lagos road, while Osi-Ota-Awolowo-Navy-Kola road and Balogun Kuku road in Ijebu Ode have been completed.
“Also, the reconstruction of Opako bridge in Adigbe, Abeokuta, and many other township roads have been completed, while the Governor has directed construction workers to return to the long-abandoned 32-kilometre Akute-Ajuwon-Alagbole road, which is supposed to be a joint effort by the Ogun and Lagos State governments.
“Worthy of mention is that the Sagamu-Isiun-Abeokuta road was awarded through Direct Labour as all the materials and labour are sourced through local suppliers, thereby, creating employment opportunities for the people.”
NANS also rated the Governor higher in his effort to reposition the education sector of the State
The Association attributed the unprecedented development in primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education to the commitment of the Governor to restore the lost glory of education in the State.
NANS who lamented the negligence of the education sector by the immediate past administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, insisted that “but for timely intervention of Governor Abiodun in the crises that bedeviled all three levels of education in the State, the sector would have completely collapsed.
“We commend the courage, resilience and doggedness of Governor Dapo Abiodun in reviving the education sector of the State. The Governor has shown to all the good people of the State that nothing is impossible to achieve if only one sets his mind to it.
“The problems that bedeviled the education sector of the State when Governor Abiodun assumed the position of power seemed unsurmountable but in no time, the Governor with determination and sincerity of purpose achieved so many feats in the sector with little or no resources within the shortest possible time.
“It is this seriousness of the government and sincerity of purpose that changed the fortunes of the education sector in the State for good.”
NANS recalled, “The prestigious and long-existing Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta was a walking corpse. The immediate past government led by Senator Ibikunle Amosun, for reasons best known to them, uprooted the established working system of the tertiary institution, making unnecessary claims of the need to convert the school to a university of science and technology – a move that would have cost all academic and non-academic staff of the institution to lose either their jobs or some years of service.
“However, today, MAPOLY is back on her feet, with a good number of employed staff, matriculated students, robust IGR and an overall working system; thanks for Governor Dapo Abiodun who intervened.
“The Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE), Omu, Ijebu was also not spared in the mismanagement of the last administration. The tertiary institution was shutdown for almost two years as a result of the crisis that engulfed the school.
“But in less than two months in office, Governor Abiodun set up a visitation panel to make reformatory recommendations on the situation of the school and in November, 2019, the Governor inaugurated a 12-member Governing Council chaired by Chief Yemi Adefulu, and today, TASCE is starting to return to its old glory, having held its first combined convocation ceremony in December.
“One of the most remarkable achievements of Governor Abiodun is the rehabilitation of 236 primary schools across all the wards in the State.”
“Besides these numerous achievements in the education sector, all other sectors of the State have also witnessed unprecedented development.”
NANS congratulated the Governor for achieving all these feats within a short period of one year and urged him not to relent in his effort to take the State to an enviable height.
The Association praised the Governor’s timely intervention by abolishing the N25,000 charge of COVID-19 test for returning students of private schools.
The students’ body while declaring its unflinching support for Governor Abiodun-led administration, urged him to remain focused and not be distracted by the noise of the opposition.
