An All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant in Ondo state, Chief Olayide Owolabi Adelami, a philanthropist on Wednesday said he was on a rescue mission to salvage the state.
He said under his watch, the financial autonomy of the local government would be granted expressly.
He disclosed this at the National Secretariat of the party shortly after some concerned Ondo State indigines under the aegis of Ondo Rescue Group picked the expression of interest and nomination forms on his behalf from the National Organising Secretary of the party, Barrister Emma Ibediro.
Presenting the forms to the aspirant the leadership of the Ondo Rescue Group, Comrade Adewale Ogendegbe said the life style of the aspirant informed their decision in raising fund to purchase his nomination forms.
Addressing newsmen after receiving the forms from the group, Adelami’s said, “I am coming up for a rescue mission. Ondo State is endowed with a lot of resources after Lagos, I cannot think of any other State with resources like Ondo State but what has happened over the years, these resources have been under tapped”.
Adelami’s who commended past leaders in the state, including the incumbent governor of the state, he however promised to take the state to the higher level.
According to the former deputy clerk of the National Assembly, “other leaders that have come on board at one time or the other have tried their best, even including the Governor that is there. He has tried his best but what I’m saying is that his best is not enough. I want to improve in that best. I want to take Ondo State to a higher level.
“I am prepared for this job. Over the years, I have been a technocrat in the National Assembly and usually I referred to myself as techno politician. In National Assembly I have received a lot of trainings, I have been on the sidelines watching the political space.
“Looking at Ondo State over the years, I know what and what we need to do. If Ondo people give their mandate I am going to launch out immediately, I am not going to wait for weeks or months before I begin to execute my manifesto.
“For instance, local government autonomy is a burning issue in all the states of the federation and first item on my manifesto, I am going to grant financial autonomy to local government because I believe that the third tier of govenrment is the government of the grassroots.
“The statutory allocation of the local government if that money is spent in local government then the economic tempo of local government will increase. The pervasive poverty we are witnessing in Ondo State today will be a thing of the past.”
On the mode of election for the July 20 Ondo State Governorship primary, Adelami endorsed direct primary saying, “I believe in transparency and fairness and I believe this can be guaranteed when we have direct primary. It gives all members opportunity to have a say on who lead them.”
Earlier the leader of widows in the state, Mrs. Nkechi Okereke said the philanthropic gesture of many years by the aspirant was a ray of hope for all in Ondo State.
