The Ondo State Forum of Permanent Secretaries has said that the former Governor of the state, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, was a special gift to Ondo State and Nigeria as a whole as his administration recorded unprecedented and indelible achievements.
The Chairman of the Forum, Chief Bunmi Alade, who is also the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, stated this when he led other executives to pay a condolence visit to the family of the late governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
Alade, who noted that just a few months ago, the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CEFTIW), in partnership with the Macarthur Foundation, rated Ondo State as the third best among Nigeria's 36 States in Transparency and Accountability in Public Finance Management, stated that Akeredolu left a legacy that future generations would live to appreciate.
He explained that the REDEEMED Agenda of the late governor had recorded landmark achievements in all areas, particularly in security, road construction and rehabilitation, the health sector as well as other critical sectors of the economy.
The Forum’s Chairman also commended the former governor for his laudable and revolutionary intervention in the state Public Service.
He noted that the Orange Contributory Health Insurance Scheme had opened doors for all Public Servants with their family members to have access to affordable healthcare services.
"Also at the grand final of 2023 year Public Service Week, Brand new SUVs were presented by the former governor to all Permanent Secretaries of Ondo State as official cars.
“This is unprecedented. This singular gesture has uplifted the status and profile of Permanent Secretaries in Ondo State,” Alade said.
Chief Alade noted that the legacies of late Akeredolu would continue to reverberate in his invaluable contributions to the socio-economic and infrastructural development of the state .
He, therefore, used the medium to renew the commitment of the Accounting Officers to remain accountable, transparent, loyal and diligent with a high level of integrity in the discharge of their work to the government of the state in line with global best practices and ethical standards.
Alade, however, counselled the bereaved family to embrace the inevitability of death, urging them to cherish the enduring legacy of the departed.
Responding on behalf of the Akeredolu family, the younger brother of the deceased, Pastor Kola Akeredolu, thanked the delegation for the thoughtful visit.
