How Aregbesola Satisfied AU Requirements On Social Protection Projects

 

By Kehinde Ayantunji

African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOCC) said the Osun State Government has met requirements set by the African Union Agenda 2063 Programme for infrastructural development in Nigeria.

The AU noted that each of the Osun social protection projects is in-line with the four key-critical sectors like education, transport and road networks, information and communication technology of the African Union.

This was even as the union honoured Governor Rauf Aregbesola with an award of excellence on good governance and physical infrastructure, capital and human developments in the state.

The leadership of the AU-ECOSOCC gave the commendation during a courtesy visit Governor Aregbesola after the completion of the organization’s three-day Agenda 2063 Advocacy Project Inspection Tour of Osun, at Government House, Osogbo.

The organisation commended Osun infrastructural development, saying it is second to none in the country.

The AU-ECOSOCC Representative in Nigeria, Dr Tunji John Asaolu, lauded the Aregbesola’s government for paying adequate attention to details of the African Union as reflected in the various developments the state had witnessed in the last seven and half years of his administration.

Asaolu who was accompanied by the AU-ECOSOCC Head of Secretariat in Nigeria, Ambassador Chinwe Maduke; the Ambassador of Antigua Barbudi in Nigeria, Ambassador Wallace Williams and AU-ECOSOCC Attaché, Mrs Kamsi Onyeuche, said Aregbesola has breathed life to governance through his monumental achievements.

He described the Osun infrastructural development as unprecedented in the history of any state in Nigeria and Africa, saying Osun had recorded giant strides worthy of emulation.

Asaolu said the organization is proud on the Aregbesola’s achievements in all sectors, the feats he described as unprecedented in the history of the state, Nigeria and Africa.

The AU official described Osun as a model in the social investment programmes, adding that the state has justified the essence of her existence as a constituted institution and entity.

“With what we have seen in terms of infrastructural development which encompasses roads networks, state-of-the-art schools, ultra-modern health facilities, state-of-the-art security hardware and apparatuses, support for the elderly, among others, are testimonials to difference Osun government had made in governance.

In his remarks, Aregbesola expressed gratitude to the leadership of AU-ECOSOCC for extending their hands of fellowship to visit the state.

Aregbesola said the visit and the award must be appreciated in view of the negative campaign against the good works his administration had recorded in the last seven and half years.

He described the visit as a testimony and vindication to the choice taken by his administration to turn Osun to cynosure of all eyes in the socioeconomic and political circles as against the sensational views of political traducers.

Aregbesola described as a thing of joy the legacies recorded by his administration which had attracted AU and other international organisations, despite the mischievous and discrediting picture painted of the state by mischief makers.

The Governor explained that his administration has registered and invested infrastructure in the minds of his people as his government had built infrastructures that are not only enduring or impactful but that will last long.

Earlier, the AU-ECOSOCC Head of Secretariat, Ambassador Chinwe Maduke said the organization is not in any way disappointed but flabbergasted on the achievements of the Aregbesola Administration in the state.

While  hinting the gathering on the purpose of the award bestowed on the governor, Maduke rated Aregbesola “as a round peg in a round hole” for the international honour.