The Governor of the State of Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola on Monday said that his administration’s policies and programmes are driven by the people’s demands as reflected in the wide acceptance of the tremendous achievements of the administration by the people in the last one and half years.
He said the administration regarded health and infrastructure as the most crucial for human, social and economic development.
This was even as the Governor inaugurated the ultra modern Olowu Kuta’s palace in Kuta, Aiyedire Local Government Area; the Nigerian Army cottage hospital in Asamu, Olaoluwa Local Government Area and bridges that link Kuta-Ikoyi-Ede road built and constructed by Nigerian Army.
Inaugurating the cottage hospital in Asamu, Oyetola noted that the administration’s health intervention was done in line with international best practices as it provides modern equipment, quality and adequate drugs.
Oyetola who reiterated that quality and affordable healthcare remains the foundation for the attainment of his administration’s dreams, noted that his government adopted a holistic approach to healthcare delivery and has been executing it assiduously to ensure optimal healthcare delivery for residents of the State.
He said, “Our policies and programmes are driven by our people’s demands. Our pact with them is to provide quality and equitable services in all the sectors of the state’s economy. In less than two years, our achievements bear eloquent testimony to this fact.
“As a government, we regard health as the most crucial resource for human, social and economic development. Consequently, three months after coming into office, we flagged off the revitalisation of nine General Hospitals and 332 Primary Health Centres- one per ward across the state. Of the number, 280 of these PHCs are so far ready and they are currently providing health service for our people across the three Senatorial Districts. The other health centres are at various stages of completion.
“We instituted Osun Health Insurance Scheme shortly after coming into office to ensure affordable health delivery and we continue to pay premium for the aged and vulnerable so that our citizens can be captured in our quality and equitable health delivery net.
“Our health intervention is done in line with best practices as we are providing modern equipment, quality and adequate drugs, while also employing technology to power health delivery and training and retraining of staff for efficient health delivery.
“Quality and affordable healthcare remains the foundation for the attainment of our dreams and the good life at the personal and institutional levels”.
While inaugurating the bridges, Governor Oyetola lauded the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai for the hands of fellowship and prompt support his leadership has been extending to the people of the State.
Governor Oyetola who said roads and bridges are crucial to the socio-economic life and development of the people as they are harbingers of wealth, noted that the construction of the bridges in Kuta by the Nigerian Army “speaks loud of the Army as a people-oriented organisation which is resolved to foster cordial relationships as part of the non-kinetic operations designed to improve Army operations and restore peace to the nation.
“I express the deep gratitude of the Government and the good people of Osun in general and Kuta people in particular to the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, for his special love and magnanimity to us as demonstrated in the donation of bridges to Kuta by the Nigerian Army.
“General Buratai’s love, interest and support for Osun transcend today’s donation. When I contacted him for support when the exemplary security situation in the state was blighted by the raging security challenges in the nation last year, he gave maximum support to our security initiative, the gains of which we are enjoying today.
“On our part, we have also embarked on massive construction of roads across the three Senatorial Districts in the State to improve the socioeconomic lives of the people. We convoked an economic and investment summit last year to transform our economy and make Osun the economic and investment hub of the Southwest,” the governor added.
He commended Olowu of Kuta Oba Hammed Adekunle Makama Oyelude for constructing and bequeathing the ultra modern palace to the good people of the ancient town.
“I thank the Olowu of Kuta for bequeathing this palace to his people and for his tremendous roles not only in mobilising his people to support government’s polices and programmes but also for ensuring that peace and order reigns supreme in his domain.
In his remarks, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, said the need to construct the bridge was in furtherance of the Nigerian Army’s social corporate service to the people of the country.
He said the gesture was an attestation to the fact that Nigerian Army had gone beyond the provision of adequate security and protection of lives and property of the citizens but also contributing significantly to the growth and development of the society.
Buratai who commended Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and Oba Makama for their unflinching support for the military particularly the Nigerian Army, reassured the Army’s avowed commitment to rid Nigeria of all forms of security challenges in no distant time.
Speaking, the Olowu of Kuta, Oba Hammed Adekunle Oyelude Makama, lauded Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai for being supportive to the growth and development of the people of the town.
Oba Makama also appreciated the hands of fellowship extended to the people of the ancient town which gave birth to the successful completion of the bridges that link three major towns together.
He said the construction of Kuta-Ikoyi-Ede by the leadership of the Nigerian Army after 100 years of agitation would go a long way to foster socio-economic activities in the communities.
