The Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State , has received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), days after securing victory in the August 15 governorship election.
Adeleke received the certificate on Wednesday at the INEC headquarters in Osogbo, where it was presented to him by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Professor Kunle Ajani, at a brief ceremony.
The governor dedicated his victory to the people of Osun State, thanking voters and supporters for renewing their confidence in his administration.
“This certificate does not belong to Ademola Adeleke alone.
“It belongs to the people of Osun State : our workers, market men and women, youths, traditional and religious leaders, and every citizen who participated in this democratic process,” he said.
The governor said he was humbled by the renewed mandate given to him by the electorate.
He, however, used the occasion to call for reflection on the violence that marred parts of the electoral process, noting that lives were lost while several people sustained injuries and properties and livelihoods destroyed.
In response to the impact of the violence, Adeleke announced the establishment of a N500 million Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund to provide assistance to verified victims and families affected by the incidents.
Adeleke also remembered victims of the electoral violence, specifically naming Ezekiel Olapade, Aderogba Ajayi, Remi Abass and Kolade Eluyera.
He said their deaths should not be viewed through the prism of political affiliation, stressing that they were citizens whose families had been left to deal with painful losses.
“Regardless of political affiliation, they were first our brothers, sisters and fellow citizens.
“To their families, your pain is our pain, and your loved ones will never be reduced to mere statistics,” Adeleke said.
According to the governor, a Verification and Relief Committee headed by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, would be responsible for identifying verified victims and coordinating the distribution of relief.
He assured that the intervention would be strictly humanitarian, insisting that political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, gender or social status would not determine who benefits.
“No eligible victim will be excluded because of political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, gender or social status. In grief, there is no political party.
“In our common humanity, we are one people,” he said.
At a separate reception organised by workers to celebrate his re-election, Adeleke further disclosed that his family, through the Springtime Development Foundation, would offer full scholarships up to university level to children and dependants of persons who died in the political violence.
The governor subsequently called on residents to move beyond the political contest and focus on rebuilding the state.
“The election is over. The campaign is over. The contest is over. Now is the time to govern, unite, heal and build,” he said.
He pledged that his administration would continue to prioritise infrastructure, healthcare, education, workers’ welfare, youth empowerment and economic development while strengthening accountability, transparency and inclusiveness.
The governor was later given a warm reception by workers who gathered to celebrate his return for a second term.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
