Zoning is Not in APC Constitution, Says Osun CoS

Yinka kolawole osogbo

The Chief of Staff (CoS) to Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, has faulted the zoning arrangement being clamoured for by some governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying “zoning is not in the constitution of our party”.

He also described as “rumour” the insinuation that he has been endorsed by Aregbesola to be the candidate of the APC in the September 22. 2018 governorship election.

Oyetola, who formally declared his intention on Tuesday, addressed a press conference at his campaign office along Gbongan Road, Osogbo, shortly after leaving the party secretariat.

In his speech titled: “Ileri-Oluwa: My Covenant on Continuity and Consolidation with the People of Osun”, he said he wouldn’t have been consulting and struggling around if he had been endorsed by Governor Aregbesola.

He boasted that his experience of not less than 30 years and almost eight years as chief of staff was enough for him to win the party’s ticket, boasting that: “What I am putting on the table is that I am one of the most adjudged chief of staff in Nigeria.”

He said he would review the Six Point Integral Action Plan of Aregbesola and improve on it for better performance, if elected.

“We will ensure that the plan is objectively reviewed for effectiveness and efficiency in order to learn from what had worked and what did not quite work. I believe we already have a template in the Six Point Integral Action Plan that we can fine-tune and make to work for all. With this, we can hit the ground running immediately.

“The welfare of workers shall top our list of priorities. While the current administration has tried its best possible to enhance the welfare of the workers. Our administration shall intensify efforts and come up with stronger strategies to ensure prompt payment of workers’ salaries and pensions of our senior citizens,” he said.

Speaking on job creation, Oyetola said: “Job creation is uppermost in my mind. A study that we commissioned has indicated that 25-30 factories employing over 30,000 workers can be created within a period of three to four years across the length and breadth of the state.”

He said he would attract investors in agriculture, Agro-Allied industries, adding that: “My goal is to make Osun to be known as the state for employment and jobs in the country.”

Speaking on the debt incurred by Aregbesola’s administration, Oyetola commended the governor for incurring debt, saying “debt is necessity”.