Akure – Gov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State on Wednesday in Akure said his administration’s programmes in the last eight years, especially those targeting women, have been of immense benefit to the people.
Mimiko, who spoke at the last edition of “Gbebiro”, a monthly women empowerment programme of his wife, Olukemi, described women as a veritable organ of development in the society.
The governor said that his programmes such as Mother and Child Hospitals in the health sector had promoted tremendous development among women.
“Our government has also impacted positively on women by constructing ultra modern markets and providing free shuttle buses to convey their children to and from school,” he said.
The governor, who expressed appreciation to the people for their support throughout his tenure, commended his wife for standing by him and being a rallying point for women in the state.
The governor’s wife said that the Gbebiro programme had provided the platform to gather women in order to encourage one another through lectures and skills acquisition.
She urged the incoming government to build on the existing legacy of Mimiko while appealing to women of the state to give maximum support to the new administration.
The governor’s wife thanked the people of the state for their unflinching support to the present government, saying this enabled it to record success in all ramifications.
Mrs. Olasinmi Odunmbaku, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, lauded the programmes of the governor’s wife which she said had touched the lives of the citizens, especially women and children.
Odunmbaku said the Mimiko administration had brought about a revolutionary change in sectors such as health, education and urban renewal.
Also speaking, Mrs.Kemisola Adesanya, the Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs in the Ondo State House of Assembly, described Mrs.Mimiko as a “ mother of all mothers’’ who would greatly be missed. ”