Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, his Osun State counterpart, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, and a former Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, have urged Nigerian leaders to ensure quality service delivery to the people.
The two Action Congress of Nigerian governors spoke in Ilorin on Sunday during the 40th day fidau of Saraki father, Dr. Olusola Saraki.
Olusola Saraki was the Second Republic Senate Leader while his son, Bukola, is currently the Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The two governors said Saraki was a leader whose influence extended beyond Kwara State to Nigeria.
Fayemi said the lesson politicians should learn from the deceased was the life of service exhibited by Saraki. He added that leaders should be untainted, compassionate and undiluted in service.
He pointed out that the late Saraki made the people his object and the subject of politics and did not engage in politics for personal gain but to serve the people.
He said, “There are also a lot of things you can identify with him. One is the role he played in the creation of Ekiti State. Without that collective role played by people like him, maybe there would not have been Ekiti State today.
“We are not the largest and not the most influential. We were the one that fortune smiled at. There was Ibadan campaign, Ijebu campaign, and others, but Ekiti got the not in 1996 and I want to let you know that he (Saraki) played a very significant but quite role in ensuring that we realized that objective to become a state.”
He said Saraki's death was a celebration of a life well lived, adding that his life was a life of service; of decency and candour.
Aregbesola said Saraki was a leader who devoted his life to the service of his people to alleviate their poverty.
He said, “Dr. Olusola Saraki is a leader to all those who believe in absolute service to the people. He lived his life and helped the people. He showed that public life essentially is service to the people and their interest. We see him as a leader.”
Saraki, who called for collaborative efforts of stakeholders to address the challenges that Nigeria was going through, said the visit of the governors had shown that the three states were good neighbours.
He said, “Your presence has made us know in Kwara State that we are good neighbours. It also shows that we are all in service for our people.
“This is politics without bitterness. It is a politics where we come together to show support to each other. It is a lesson to those that are coming behind us to work together across all divides for the interest of the country.”
