By Nudoiba Ojen
Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has saluted the courage and sacrifices of the founding fathers of the state.
Aiyedatiwa said the he would continue to build on the worthy legacies of the founding fathers in the interest of Ondo State people.
He spoke in his anniversary message to the people of the state on Saturday on the occasion the 48th anniversary of creation of Ondo State.
Ondo State, carved out from the old Western Region, was created on February 3, 1976 by the military administration of General Murtala Muhammed.
Since its creation 48 years ago, 19 people have served as governor; 12 military governors and seven civilian governors, including Aiyedatiwa, who was sworn in on December 27, 2023 following the demise of the immediate past governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN.
Aiyedatiwa lauded the founding fathers of the state “for their foresight and invaluable contributions towards making Ondo State what it is today in terms of sustainable development and inclusive growth.
“Without the sacrifices and selflessness of the founding fathers, Ondo State would not be where it is today even as the state has the potential to be greater,” the governor said.
Aiyedatiwa, who noted that some of the founding fathers have transitioned to the other side of the divide, called on their surviving generations “to continue to take pride in the illustrious contributions of their forebears and to continue to contribute their own quota to the overall development of the state”.
He said, “I will continue to build on the worthy legacies of the founding fathers. I assure the citizens of the state of the commitment of my administration to maximising the potential of the state for the benefit of the generality of the people”.
The governor congratulated the people of the state on the anniversary as he called on them “to continue to provide support for my administration as we continue to navigate the ship of the state towards a safe harbour”.
