Awo’s ideals lured me into politics - Mimiko
Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, said on Thursday that the social democratic attributes of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, drew him into politics, adding that as governor, he had decided to replicate the four cardinal programmes of the late Premier of the defunct Western Region.
Mimiko, who made the declaration when the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles, Reverend Sam Adesua, led an editorial team of the Tribune titles to pay him a courtesy visit on Thursday, said he launched the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) as a students' union leader because of his love for Awolowo's progressive ideals.
He also assured the management of the ANN Plc., that he regards the matriarch of the Awolowo family as an icon and that he is fully in support of all her efforts aimed at uniting the house of Oduduwa.
"I want you to tell Mama HID that we regard her as a living icon and we love her. Whatever effort she is making to put the house of Oduduwa in order, we support her," he said.
According to Mimiko, Awolowo was the main reason for his decision to join politics.
"I was one of the students who launched the UPN at the University of Ife. For us the beginning of politics was Awo the end was Awo," Mimiko stated.
He said that his government had derived a lot of benefits from Awolowo's policies as the administration recently uncovered one of the farm settlements established by Awolowo, which has now been turned into a modern farm settlement.
He said:"For us, Awolowo is the benchmark in leadership, not only in Nigeria but the whole of Africa."
The governor stated that he was not surprised that Tribune had lived for so long because it was founded on principles.
The Managing Director of of the ANN Plc, Reverend Adesua said the management of Tribune was happy to visit the state as it was impressed with the governor's performance so far.
He stated that he had seen many people who claimed to be following Awolowo footsteps. These ones, he said, were only doing it in name. He, however, declared that Mimiko was proving to be the new Awolowo in the making as he was putting into practice what Awolowo stood for.
He said that the management was able to confirm Mimiko's performance when it sent a team of reports on tour of the state recently.
"The ultra-modern market which you have built is one of the true signs of replicating Awolowo' legacies. We appreciate what you are doing for the masses," Reverend Adesua said.
He also assured the governor that Tribune titles would continue to partner with the state government in ensuring that it continues to deliver the good things of life to the populace.