Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, yesterday said the state had gone bankrupt under the leadership of Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
Ibrahim, however, promised to take the state out of the economic woods if elected governor in the forthcoming polls.
The business mogul spoke at a press conference in Akure, the statecapital, where he unfolded his programmes for the development of the state.
He reiterated his vow to pay arrears of salaries owed the state workers.
“I need to have as first priority the payment of outstanding salaries of the workforce because a good workforce is the one that can deliver dividends of democracy, you may say, or, in my own language, that will deliver efficiency and effectiveness.
“The public service is really my major focus. I want them to be trained and retrained. I want the Public Service Training School to be alive again,” he said.
The candidate, who said he would make life comfortable for civil servants, disclosed his plan to change the Department of Special Duties to Ministry of Employment.
Saying he would upgrade the Board of Internal Revenue to a full-fledged ministry, Ibrahim further disclosed that he would introduce “partial tax integration” in the state to relieve the people of burden.
On infrastructure, Ibrahim said he would set up Ondo State Infrastructural Development Commission that would liaise with Ministry of Works to handle infrastructural challenges.
He said: “The importance of this commission is to ensure that we diagnose and know the state of infrastructure. And when we know that, we will effectively affect it.”
Ibrahim also disclosed his plan to revamp the educational system in the state, saying: “Within six months of getting to office, I will ensure that most secondary schools go back to boarding house system. I want to reintroduce boarding system in the state.”
The businessman expressed confidence that he would coast to victory in the election since he and his party were well-grounded in the state.
“This is not my first time of running for the governorship of this state. In 2003, I run for the position under the defunct ANPP. So, I am not like some people who are running for the first time, who needs to do all the work, who needs to go all the nooks and corners of Ondo State.
“I am not new to the people of Ondo State. I had a very impressive result at the last engagement when I ran for the governorship. It is my ambition to be governor of the state. I am back to realise that ambition, this time around under our great party, Peoples Democratic Party.
“What do I intend to do when I become governor? Number one, I need to take the state from a hopeless situation that it is now to a very hopeful situation.
“I need to take away injustice. We cannot afford to have a senatorial district producing governor for 16 years at a go. That is complete injustice. We will not allow that. That will not happen in Ondo State,” he said.
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