Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Tuesday, stated that he has started working on the projects initiated by the Minister of interior and former governor of the State, Rauf Aregbesola, which were abandoned by the immediate past government under Gboyega Oyetola.
The governor equally assured Aregbesola that he is protected whenever he comes to the state, saying he would be issuing an executive order to that effect.
Adeleke gave the promise at the commissioning of Ilesa Passport Production Centre and Passport Front by Aregbesola at the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in Ilesa East Local Council of the state yesterday.
He said he was meeting with Aregbesola face-to-face for the first time, adding that the former governor has done so much for the development of the state.
The governor, while addressing Aregbesola, said: “No matter the party you are, a progressive is a progressive. If you are doing what the people want, you are a progressive. When Aregbesola was the governor, he loved Osun State and the people. All the projects he did were abandoned and I promised during the election campaign, that I would complete them. I have started doing that.
“No matter the party you belong, when you see progressives, you must key into them. Aregbesola is the man of the people and I will continue with the abandoned projects.
“I am assuring you (Aregbesola) that this is your state and I am issuing an executive order on that. Nobody can chase you away. You are welcome at any time.
Earlier in his address, Aregbesola said he only recorded the presence of his successor at his official events just once, adding that Adeleke attended the commissioning without receiving any phone call or official invitation directly from him.
Aregbesola said: “I only recorded once the presence of the governor that succeeded me and that was during commissioning of an edifice in Osogbo. But a governor of another party, this is my first official ceremony since he assumed office. I didn’t make any private call to him. The governor is here with everybody in his office and administration.”
The minister, who restated Federal Government’s commitment to ameliorating the challenges encountered by Nigerians in applying for and obtaining the Nigerian Passport through improved service delivery and streamlining of its operations, said the government was also working assiduously to adequately address the growing number of Nigerians who need the passport for other purposes.
He noted that the surge in the number of applications necessitates the establishment of more passport front offices across the country through the determination of President Muhammadu Buhari administration to further make the process seamless.
