The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Tuesday, declared that his administration would continue to sustain the trust of the people of the state, emphasizing that sustaining public trust remained fundamental to the economic development of Ogun.
Abiodun who made this declaration at the Special Ramadan Iftar held at the Arcade Ground of the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Speaking further at the event with the theme, “Trust, an Indispensable Tool for National Development”, the governor said that his administration since it came on board on the 29th of May, 2019, had benefited from the contribution of the private sector because of the trust which it has in his administration.
Abiodun who further disclosed that trust is reciprocal, opined that the people of the state should be able to trust the decision of government to provide services and protect them because it is for their benefit.
He urged the people of the state to always report crimes and criminals in their neighborhood, noting that there was adequate need for the funds earmarked for projects and empowerments are used for the desired purpose.
“Trust, like the Guest Lecturer has shared with us is an indispensable tool for national development. We as a government, having re-established trust between us and our citizens, we will continue to sustain that trust in recognition of the fact that public office is a public trust and gaining and sustaining that trust of our citizens is very fundamental to economic development.
” Today, the private sector has started partnering with our administration in building roads, special agro processing zones, all other infrastructure, building schools with us, building primary health care centers with us, donating ambulances, a development that was never the case in the past.
“Trust is very reciprocal, the citizens will be able to trust their government, while the government must also be able to trust its citizens. They must be able to trust that when we provide a service, be it a road, airport, a school, a hospital, that our citizens will take ownership of it, they will look after it, they will protect it as if it is their own, because, indeed, your taxes were invested in it.
“We must also trust our citizens, they must also report crimes and criminals in their neighborhood. As our lecturer has remarked, we must also be able to trust that when funds are earmarked for projects and empowerments, they will be used for the desired purpose,” he said.
The governor further disclosed that the hosting of the annual Ramadan Iftar will be sustained by his administration not only to ensure peace, security and unity of the people of the state, but to use it as an opportunity to give thanks to Almighty God for all He has done.
Delivering his lecture earlier, Prof. Abdul-Razaq Abdul-Majeed Alaro from the Department of Islamic Law, Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for ensuring the continuous hosting of the annual lecture.
Professor Alaro who disclosed that any nation that desires development must invest in material, human and social capital, added that Nigeria as a country is doing quiet well in human and material capital, while social capital is yet to be developed.
The Guest Lecturer who also described social capital as the relationship that exists with one another, added that there was need for trust to exist between the governed and the government as well as between the people of the country.
While bemoaning non existence of trust between the governed and the government in the country, stressed that no nation can develop when there is lack of trust between the governed and the government.
Alaro admonished the people of the country not to look at the clan, religion or origin of the leadership at the helms of affairs in the country, submitting that “having trust in their leadership would at all times ensure that both the governed and the government work together to ensure the continued development of the country”.
