Inauguration: Abiodun pledges accountable governance, Ihedioha accuses Okorocha of degrading institutions, Wike talks tough + other stories

Prince Dapo Abiodun was on Wednesday sworn in as the fifth civilian governor of Ogun at the MKO Abiola International Stadium in Abeokuta.
Abiodun who turned 59 on Wednesday, was sworn in after his deputy, Mr Noimot Salako-Oyedele, was sworn in earlier by the Chief Judge of Ogun State, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu.
In his inaugural speech, Abiodun offered himself as a tool to bring the greatest good to the people of Ogun regardless of creed, gender and political affiliation.
“You will always find in me conduct of Omoluwabi (hood character) expected of a teacher’s child who I am.
“I will govern with character, make your interests the core of governance, serve you diligently.
“I will neither personalise nor abuse your mandate and I will not betray your trust ,” he said.
He pledged that his government would provide good and accountable governance through the provision of quality leadership to all.
The governor stated that the economic committee he had put in place had hit the ground running and its recommendations would begin to manifest in days, months and years to come to positively impact on the people.
Abiodun explained that he would in the next few days set up an Asset and Projects Assessment Committee to assess all ongoing projects and advise on their potential benefits to the people and priority to be attached to them.
The governor pledged that his administration would empower the local governments areas to enable them effectively and efficiently discharge their constitutional guaranteed mandate.
“Our development agenda will be deepened and fast-tracked if our local governments are truly governments and not just appendices of the state governments and salary payment centres,” he said.
Abiodun explained that his administration would engender various reforms in the state public service.
He noted that “the Building of our Future Together’ agenda could not be realised without the support of the civil servants.
The governor stressed the importance of transparency and accountability for the elimination of leakages which would enhance judicious use of the commonwealth.
He said he would immediately commence full implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and full automation of Ogun finance functions and regular publication of audited accounts among others.
Abiodun explained that he had directed his deputy to coordinate the coalition of township and rural roads across the state.
He said there were immediate plans to engage communities in council areas to jointly determine two or three roads in each that were of immediate and utmost priority for intervention.
Abiodun promised to restore the glory of the state education system “through an urgent, comprehensive and disruptive approach akin to the declaration of a state of emergency.”
The governor said his administration would soon organise an Ogun Education Summit to enable stakeholders to examine the causes of decline in the sector and proffer solutions.
Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State and his deputy, Sonni Tyoden, took their second term oaths of office, with the governor granting “absolute pardon” to one Calistus Mozie, who was serving a life sentence.
The oath was administered on the duo by the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Yakubu Dakwak.
Lalong, in a speech shortly after taking the oath of office, said that the pardon granted the convict was in exercise of the powers conferred on him as governor in Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“This is as a mark of our appreciation and thanksgiving to God for the guidance, protection and successes recorded.
“After due consultation with the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, I have granted prerogative of mercy to one prisoner, Evaristus  Mozie, from life imprisonment to absolute pardon.
“This pardon is granted for reasons of good conduct and determination to continue to be productive, from the day he was sentenced,” Lalong said.
The governor, who thanked the people of the state for their support in the last four years, promised to unveil his vision on June 12, which has been declared ‘Democracy Day’.
“On that special day, I shall unveil the vision and programmes of the government for the 2019 to 2023 period, in a Town Hall Meeting.
“This will be followed by a panel discussion on democracy in Plateau from 2015 to 2019, and the way forward in the next four years,’’ he said.
The governor promised to consolidate on the gains and achievements so far recorded, adding that priorities would be carefully streamlined in the light of increasing demands.
He added that his administration would review and fine-tune some of the policy thrusts of the last four years to make them more result-oriented.
Lalong further stated that the new administration would inject new ideas and philosophical paradigm into governance.
“Governance is a two-way traffic involving a social contract of duties and obligations between the government and the governed.
“Good governance presupposes loyalty, hardwork, effective service delivery, and leaving behind a legacy worthy of emulation by subsequent generations,” he noted
Monsignor Cletus Gotan, Provost, College of Education, Gindiri, in a speech, urged the people of Plateau to be united if they would reclaim their pride of place.
Gotan urged the people to accept each other as one irrespective of their differences, pointing out that growth was only possible if they were united and focused toward making the state a model. 
The cleric also advised the governor and his team to make the collective interests of the state the guiding principle behind every policy and action.
The event slated to commence by 8:30 a.m., started by 11:30 a.m. following a heavy downpour that started from 4 a.m. and kept people indoors till 11 a.m.
Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State, declared that former Governor Rochas Okorocha’s administration degraded most institutions in the South-East state.
Ihedioha stated this in his inaugural speech shortly after being sworn in by Imo Chief Judge,  Justice Paschal Nnadi, at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri on Wednesday.
The governor, who sympathised with the people of the state over what he described as “debased and desecrated governance,” promised to remedy the damages done by the immediate past administration.
He solicited the cooperation of all stakeholders in the rebuilding process, pointing out that appropriate steps would be taken so as to restore faith and confidence in government.
His words: “The outgoing administration degraded and destroyed most of our institutions and values. The legislature, the judiciary and the civil service all suffered grievous assaults with the House of Assembly made redundant and court orders routinely disregarded.
 
“But Imo State will, as always, endure. Imo will revive and prosper again. We urge you to be courageous in this conviction for we are not captives of fear.
 
“We will not waste a day getting to work to renew the Imo promise of our founding fathers. Therefore we will take appropriate measures to restore faith and confidence in government.
 
“I stand ready to personally interface and facilitate with any person or company willing to establish business in Imo. Together we shall achieve the Imo of our dreams. Imo shall rise again, ” he assured.
 
In a reaction, however,  Chief Press Secretary to Okorocha, Mr Sam Onwuemeodo, said that he was not surprised as according to him, the outgoing governor left shoes too big to fit into.
 
Onwuemeodo listed Okorocha’s achievements to include free education, security and urban renewal.
 
In his words: “Owerri is fastest growing city in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In 2011,  no one could move out of their houses after 7.00 p.m. but today Imo is secure and businesses are thriving.
 
“We raised the bar and the shoes are just quite big,” he said.
Meanwhile, at least 10 people, including a pregnant woman, were injured from stampede during Ihedioha’s inauguration.
A member of the medical team for the inauguration, Dr Francis Igwe, confirmed the figure in Owerri.
The stampede resulted from a huge crowed which besieged the  Dan Anyiam Stadium, venue of the  inauguration,
Igwe said, however, that the victims were  revived.
He said that the medical team led by Dr Vin Udokwu were proactive to handle the situation.
“When we saw the crowed, we suspected that there may be an emergency situation; we quickly put our personnel and equipment together just to get ready,” he said.
Members of the Red Cross Society were also seen assisting  in rescue operations during the stampede.
Before the inauguration, a woman had fainted and was carried away from the field by the medical personnel with a stretcher.
Igwe said that all situations were controlled.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Wednesday in Port Harcourt and his deputy, Dr Ipalibo Banigo, took oath of office for a second term.
Rivers Chief Judge, Justice Adama Iyaye-Laminkara, administered the oath of office on them at a ceremony held at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium.
Wike, in his inauguration speech, restated his resolve to always place the state first in all his actions.
He said: “For us, in all things, it is Rivers State first; Rivers State is the measure; Rivers State before others.
“This is the essence of the political mandate and burden that we will bear for the next four years and we will not disappoint you.

“We will continue to stand up for Rivers State and defend her interest, no matter the challenges or what comes at us.’’
The governor, who said that his administration was not opposed to the Federal Government, called for a partnership to move the state as well as Nigeria forward.
He said that since the people of Rivers were not “a conquered people’’ they would never surrender their respective freedoms “to anybody or entity, whether internal or external.
“We will, therefore, not accept to be subjugated to a headmaster and pupil power relationship; neither will we abandon the collective interest of Rivers State for the sake of political expediency.
“We are for the rule of law, democracy and mutual respect as autonomous state entities and co-building blocks of the Nigerian federation,’’ he said
Wike also commended the people of the state, especially the voters, for their trust and support that gave him the mandate to serve Rivers for another four-year-term.
“For us, everyone counts. We must not allow ourselves to be divided between upland and riverine considerations, but strive for common grounds, solidarity and work together towards achieving our common goals and aspirations.
“Our refrain at this time, and especially in the face of the social and economic uncertainties in our nation, should be: `ask what you can do for Rivers instead of what Rivers State can do for you’.
“The future of our state depends on us. It is up to us to renew, re-energise and advance the Rivers dream, to fight for what belongs to us, and to defend our right to exist in freedom, security and peace in our own nation.
“And if we do cooperate, think and act among ourselves with tenacity and unity of strength, purpose and commitment, then there is no mountain we cannot level; no river we cannot cross, and no goal we set for ourselves that we cannot achieve.”
He assured that his administration would, in the next four years, consolidate on his first term achievements to make Rivers the greatest state in Nigeria.
“Our economy is great, but it should be greater and made more beneficial to all.
“And so we will continue to grow our economy, expand our tax base, provide a friendly business environment and attract foreign and local investments to create more jobs and empower our people.
“We will continue on the economic trajectory of fiscal discipline, prudence, prioritisation of capital projects over recurrent and giving value for money spent in the delivery of services.’’
Wike also promised to partner relevant national and international agencies and expertise to initiate and implement a 25-year Marshall Plan for economic transformation and development of the state.
Governor Maimala Buni of  Yobe State declared a state of emergency on primary and secondary education in the state.
Buni made the declaration after he was sworn-in as the newly elected governor of the state on Wednesday in Damaturu.
He said the declaration was necessary to move the state from an educationally disadvantaged state to educationally prosperous one.
Buni said “more primary and secondary schools would be established, additional teachers would be employed with adequate instructional materials provided.
“Let me also state that, we are not unmindful of the over stretched facilities in schools and, the need to provide more.
“We are conscious of the increase in population of some communities especially, where displaced persons choose to settle in such communities.
“This administration would strive to ensure prompt payment of counterpart funds to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), to enable the state access UBEC grants to improve primary education,“he said.
The governor said government would also build more schools, classrooms and provide additional instructional materials to meet the educational needs of these communities.
Buni promised to partner with the federal government to replicate the anchor borrower programme to provide youth employment, food security and improved economy.
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State pledged to aggressively pursue integrated policies of economic development and transformation in his second term in office.
Umahi made the pledge on Wednesday in Abakaliki after he was sworn-in for a second term.
He also promised to consolidate on the foundations he laid in the past four years, adding that his administration would exploit the rich mineral deposits in the state for rapid industrialisation.
“We will pursue enhanced internally generated revenue policy and generate sustainable employment, particularly in the private sector.
“We will ensure financial empowerment of citizens leading to higher quality of life, making the state a choice destination for cultural, eco-tourism and a global leisure resort.
“A haven for investors will be created through a balanced and vibrant economy and providing effective leadership and political governance to improve people’s lives,” he said.
He noted that the strategy to accomplish the goals of his administration would be hinged on three critical planks – people, infrastructure and economy.
“We will create an Ebonyi economy that will be self-propelled, self-sustaining and reliant within 10 years, thereby reducing risks of dependence on the Federal Government’s statutory allocations.
“We will create jobs for citizens, most especially in the private sector, thereby addressing the current huge dependence on civil employment and its adverse implications for over-head costs,” he said.
The governor listed his achievements in his first tenure to include: upgrading of 13 general hospitals (completion of hospital buildings, landscaping and perimeter fencing of hospital premises).
“We have spent N11 billion primarily into rice cultivation and tangentially into cassava and poultry farming, as well as the construction, procurement and installation of fertilizer blending plants, among others.
“We have constructed several roads, bridges among others and have massively developed our rural areas because majority of our people are domiciled there,” he said.