We Borrowed Money to Rescue Osun From Infrastructure Deficit, Poverty – Aregbesola

The Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on Tuesday said that he resorted to borrowing developmental projects due to the terrible infrastructure deficit and level of poverty he met when he assumed office in 2010.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd left), his Senior Special Adviser on Sustainable development Goal (sdgs), Folawiyo Olajuku, (meddle), Chairman Oriade Local Government, Hon Olubunmi Obeisun, (2nd right), Elegboro of Egboro, Oba Olufemi Agunsoye, (3rd right), Medical Health Officer, Primary Healthcare Authority, Oke Inisa, Ijebu Ijesa, Dr Aderinwale Adeola (left), and Others, during the Commissioning of Primary Health Care Center In Ijebu-Ijesa on Tuesday 13th-03-2018.

According to Aregbesola, borrowing to finance projects in the state was a child of necessity for the development of the state, recalling that there was huge dearth of infrastructure in the state before his emergence as the governor.

Aregbesola stated this while addressing the people during the commissioning of Primary Healthcare Centre through the Sustainable Development Goal situated in Ijebu-IJesa, Oriade Local Government Area of the state.

The governor noted that his government would not have borrowed had the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) whose government ruled the state for seven and half years, done the needful by providing required infrastructure development which his government later championed.

He lamented what he described as poor management of the state’s resources by the PDP government, stating that the state would not have become noticeable among its peers had his administration failed ‎to do the needful to stimulate her economy.

‎Aregbesola maintained that his administration has been very prudent in the management of the state resources, adding that the financial prudence assisted him to successfully scale through the toughest economic period that tormented the whole nation.

The governor said: “Our administration did not go for borrowing for any other thing than to rescue the state and her people from poverty they were plunged to when we assumed office.

“On assumption of office in 2010, coupled with the status of the state’s treasury, propelled us to go for borrowing to bring to our people the required infrastructural facilities which they had suffered from in the previous administration.

“Today, Osun would not have become a cynosure of all eyes as it, is if we did not take the bold steps we took to stimulate her economy through financial re-engineering.

“Our state can boast of so many developmental projects cross sectors which were not in place prior to our emergence.”

Speaking on the successes his administration has recorded through the partnership with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Aregbesola said the scheme had helped to complement the good governance which his administration has exhibited in the state.

Aregbesola said his administration has never failed in contributing its counterpart fund of 50% in each of the projects executed through the partnership.

‎Earlier, the Commissioner for health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu stated that the essence of the commissioning is part of government efforts at achieving essentially the 3rd goal of sustainable development which is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages. ‎

Isamotu stressed that most other goals of the Sustainable Development have their relationship with health directly or indirectly.