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| Orangun of Ila and Femi Kehinde, AGA Guber Aspirant |
The Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Oyedotun has tasked leadership
of the All Grassroots Alliance (AGA) to keep to their electoral promises once
the party wins the incoming gubernatorial election billed for next month in Osun
state.
The Monarch made this call during the courtesy call the party
made to his palace in Ila-Orangun during its campaign rally in the town.
In his words, the Monarch urged the gubernatorial aspirant,
Olufemi Kehinde not to make Alhaja Hafsat Lawal a spare tyre, rather she should
be given active role in government so that people of Ila Orangun can benefit
positively in the government.
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| Hafsat Lawal as she received Orangun's blessings |
“There’s this sayings that deputy governors are extra tyres
in any government, this type of notion, I wouldn’t want our daughter to be of
such, we are willing to throw our weight behind her and your party, but I will
implore your party to keep to the promise you made to the good people of Ila
and Osun state as a whole.
In his reaction, the All Grassroots Alliance flag bearer,
Femi Kehinde said, “Our government shall abide with all the promises we have
made so far. Our deputy governor being a retired school principal will be in
charge of education in the state, if we have her at the helm of affair overseeing
our educational sector, definitely our campaign promise of transforming College
of Education Ila will surely come to pass.”
Femi Kehinde has also promised to create special roles for
Royal fathers in his government. “Our government will give three Obas special
place in our cabinet. Oba Williams Ayeni, the Orangun of Ila was once a non-portfolio
minister, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, the Late Ooni used to be a premier of western
region. They were five kings in the government then. Bola Ige during his reign
had three Obas in his government. Oba of Osogbo, the Eleruwa and Okere of Saki
were all part of Ige’s government. This is what we intend to return for a
better society. A government cannot function without a traditional institution.”
He said.
He stressed further, “Our government shall be all encompassing;
it is for the grassroots people, we shall have guest houses built in towns so
that when a governor visits, there would be no rush for him to return same day.
We want to be closer to the people.
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| Femi Kehinde and party stakeholders |
There are lots of wastage in government; debt being owed by Osun
state is over 350 billion, I want to assure my people that we shall settle the
debt and free Osun from living from hand to mouth. I am a lawyer with over 35
years of experience; we shall use our experience to offset the debt. 80 percent
of the money that comes to Osun is used to settle debt that is why our people
are facing serious hardship. There will be end to payment of half salary in the
state. Workers will get their salaries and pensioners too will cease to live in
abject poverty. From September 22, 2018, Osun will rise again and we shall put
smiles on the faces of our people.”
The national chairman of the party, Olukayode Oshiariyo told
the people of the community that the party belongs to the masses and it aims is
to liberate them from economic doldrums the current and past administration have
saddled the state with.
He said, “In 1980, Late Obafemi Awolowo said a time would
come when the masses will come together to fight for themselves. This is the
party Awolowo said, All Grassroots Alliance, a party for the masses.”
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| at the palace of Orangun |
Oshiariyo added that the party was supposed to be named All
Grassroots Congress at its inception. “We were 19 in attendance from all zones in
Nigeria that sat to discuss the formation of this great party. Initially we
wanted its name to be All Grassroots Congress, but the person we gave the job to
for its logo got a vision that the party should be named All Grassroots Alliance.
That was how we got the name. This is a party that will restore hope for the common
man.
“Meanwhile, someone in far away Anambra state in Umuhia in
August 2001 did predict that a political party will come someday and it shall
be named A.G.A. He made this pronouncement on a mountain called Grace Mountain,
he was asked the full meaning and he told them it was only the abbreviated word
that was made known to him. In 2011, same thing was said by a popular pastor in
Lagos, T.B Joshua of Synagogue Church of All Nation. Now, we have come with the
much talked political party that will liberate people from untold hardship bad
leaders have subjected our dear nation to.
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| with supporters at Oke Ila in Ifedayo L.G |
“They are fond of paying half salaries and they never paid themselves
half salaries, all their emolument are paid in full. A nation where basic amenities
are nowhere to be found, no good roads, no health care facilities, no security
of lives and properties all these and many more are what our government has
come to restore. We have come with hope that will guarantee the prosperity of
the people.
“Our candidates are
credible people that will always abide by the party’s manifestos. To us, education
is key, we shall invest heavily in agriculture, youth empowerment shall be our
focus, Obas will be given a special place in our government. Our governor isn’t
the party leader, he is just a chief servant, our political party in each state
has its leader; governor has its role as an ambassador that will lead any given
state. The party shall have total control of the government, we are different
from them. Party gives birth to a government, not the government that brought
forth a political party. What you can see on the ballot paper is the logo of a
political party and its name, no individual name is printed on it. This is a
clear indication that it is the party the electorates vote for not individuals.
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| With supporters |
“Past administrations have made series of empty promises, but
with All Grassroots Alliance, all the promises we give shall be met once our
party takes control of Osun state.”
Alhaja Hafsat Lawal, the running mate to Honourable Femi
Kehinde said she was contented with what God has given her as a retired teacher
and never planned to venture into politics. She said, “I never planned to be a
deputy governor; I got this call from Almighty God. I took up a 21 days fasting
and prayer, all in the course to move closer to my God. After I ended the first
21 days, I did another for nine days, it was during my supplications to God
that I got the message to go out and liberate my people. Being a princess from
Ila Orangun, I met my father, His Royal Majesty, Wahab Oyedotun for his
blessing, I told him I wanted to run for the post of a deputy governor under
the umbrella of A.G.A and he said I shouldn’t use the word run, rather I should
consider myself the deputy governor of the state with Honourable Femi Kehinde
as the governor of our great state, Osun.
“I want to use this opportunity to tell my people in Ila
Orangun and Osun as a whole that it is a new dawn, Osun people will rise again,
the economic woes bedeviling our people shall be over.”
All Grassroots Alliance later took their campaign rally to
Oke Ila in Ifedayo local government and Otan-Ayegbaju where party members and people
of the communities received the Gubernatorial aspirant, Femi Kehinde and his
party members
