said he will continue to explain the essence of
his administration's education reforms until
dissenting voices reason with him.
He said his administration's policies were not
tailored to suit any group, but centred on
fairness.
Aregbesola spoke in Osogbo, the state capital,
at the inauguration of the newly constituted
executive of the Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN), Osun chapter.
In his speech, titled: Empowered for Service,
Aregbesola said Osun has enjoyed peace since
the inception of his administration, due to
equity among people of all faith and people-
oriented programmes.
The governor, who was represented by his
deputy, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, said: "I
restate it here that our administration will
never be found guilty of favouring any group
over another. The state belongs to all of us.
The mandate I was given applies to all people,
all gender and all faith. I am determined to
defend this with all that it pleases the good
Lord to give me.
"The government's programmes will fail where
they are meant mainly for a group, rather than
for all the people. We will never compromise
on our resolve to make Osun a thriving hub of
socio-economic development. This is possible
when all groups work harmoniously."
Aregbesola said the criticisms against reforms
in the education sector were understandable,
noting that major reforms that would halt the
rot in the sector would generate
apprehensions.
He said: "In recent times, there have been
vibrant exchanges between us over the reforms
we are carrying out in schools. I assure you
that these reforms are without malicious
intentions.
"I am aware that revolutionary changes of this
nature will surely bring some discomfort. The
first generation of educated citizens of this
country was produced by Christian missions,
mostly. You will agree with me, however, that
the state of our schools when our
administration came on board on November
27, 2010, was not what you could be proud of.
On this, our purpose and goal (to provide
education for the total man in spirit, soul and
body) are coterminous.
"We only have differences on the path to take.
We can easily maximise our areas of agreement
and work closely on our differences in an
atmosphere of mutual respect and
understanding. Let us avoid name calling,
confrontations and making false and
unfounded accusations that are capable of
dividing our people, creating tension and
heating up the polity."
Aregbesola said he needed the prayers of the
people of all faiths to make Osun the pride of
the Black race.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the
event, Commissioner for Finance Wale
Bolorunduro said Christians have no reasons to
be apprehensive over the Sukuk bond, saying it
is like any other bond.
He said: "The only difference is that the
interest rate on Sukuk makes it the most
development-friendly financial instrument in
any part of the world. Yes, its name sounds
Islamic, but it is being regulated under the
same capital market culture in Nigeria. Above
all, the proceeds from Sukuk will finance
massive capital projects that people of all faith
will benefit from."
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