In a fledgling democracy still haunted by the vestiges of totalitarian politics, individual leaders must be willing to give way so that institutions may strengthen and flourish. Leaders must learn that they serve at the pleasure of the people. Indeed, we are elected servants not a self-appointed aristocracy that uses elections as modern day ritual of coronation. It is often said Africa needs strong institutions rather than strong men. This evokes the necessity of depersonalizing governance and politics. We need to shift from the personality orientation of our politics to a politics of strong institutions and of enlightened policy as intended by the constitution. I would also add that we need servant – leader motivated by the zeal to help the people – instead of leaders who deceive themselves and endanger our democracy by believing that they were elected so the people may serve them.

Making Progress Together

Our administration strove to uphold the principle of public service at all times. We believed a major of aspect of service is listening attentively to our masters – the sovereign electorate. To this end, we established channels of participatory governance involving communities in the annual budgetary process. For the first time in the state, government seriously sought the opinions and input of those at the grassroots in making budgets, giving the average citizen unprecedented ability to determine projects for their communities. In effect, we tailored governance to reflect the developmental priorities of the people as against the practice of treating them as voiceless recipients of policies initiated from above. We claimed no greater wisdom than what the people had for determining what they needed. I believe that we were at the forefront in participatory governance and participatory budgeting and that this approach to solving developmental problems has already been vindicated by the historic progress registered in such a brief time.

In the past few months, I have had cause to reflect on the journey we have shared during the last four years. The end of my reflection always brought me back to the place I began: Leadership itself is merely the opportunity to serve and political power is a God-given tool to be used to change lives for the better. Power is held by man but is owned by no one. We are all custodians and trustees of the greater good.

I entered politics because I believe committed leadership can provide people the tools that empower and give them control over their own destinies. Public office is too serious to be left to the venal and mean. When people of conscience committed to social justice and the common good abstain from politics, opportunists and mercenaries take power and misuse it. But their abuse is not limited to enriching themselves. In overfeeding themselves, they starve the society, leaving breakage, poverty and suffering in their wake. The argument for progressive political engagement is perhaps best summed up in the famous words of Edmund Burke: “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.”

All that stands between Nigeria and its terminal decadence is good men and women who, energized by a higher sense of duty and purpose, venture into the public square to raise the standard of the common good and to effect the renewal of our nation. This sacred responsibility we cannot evade.

These ideals led me into politics. I presented them to you when I sought your permission to serve you as governor. They are the values I pledged to uphold in office. You gave us the privilege of serving you because you recognized the values we espoused were those that would lead to a better Ekiti in our lifetime. Today, I stand before you to declare that I have kept faith with our values and to my promises to you.

The 8-Point Agenda – We Delivered

Our 8 point agenda was not a campaign gimmick. It served as our compass. We kept faith to the direction in which it pointed.

In governance, we professionalized the Civil service, including the elimination of costly ghost workers. We embraced public participation in the budgetary system and in allocation of community projects. We enhanced IGR without raising the tax rate.