Former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has disclosed how former President, Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu helped his political career.
Speaking on Sunday during a civic reception organised in his honour by Concerned Muslim Scholars and Clerics in South Western Nigeria on Sunday in Oyo town, the former Minister of Interior said he would be forever grateful to the two leaders for their role in his life.
Aregbesola recalled how Tinubu mentored him in Lagos State and facilitated his emergence as Governor of Osun State. He said his height working with Tinubu and Buhari facilitated the grand reception in which people praised him for today possible.
The former Minister also said the establishment of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Passport Office, Fire fighting office and Agro Ranger Office in Oyo town, which people praised him for, was done by Buhari and executed through him as the Minister of Interior.
“If any appreciation and gratitude could be given to me, I want to believe greater appreciation should be given to the two people I mentioned.
“Without their support, it would be pretty difficult for me to single-handedly achieve the height I am now and be able to render the service to good people of Oyo,” Aregbesola said.
Aregbesola said that he was extremely grateful and honoured by the reception organised for him by the people of Oyo town and appreciated them for the reception.
In his remark earlier, the programme host, Imam Daud Tijani, said the willingness to celebrate Aregbesola’s indelible achievements as a public officeholder was due to his exemplified personality in all ramifications.
Tijani said that Aregbesola has remained loyal to the cause of humanity, infrastructure development, and maximally using societal resources for the development of the people.
“He is vastly in Knowledge and has a way of relating with people inoffensively, and this has earned him the loyalty and admiration of the masses and entire Yorubaland and the nation at large.
“He never compromised his integrity and faith in what he believes to be right.
“Aregbesola is so dear to the Muslims not only because he is a practising Muslim but because he consistently presents himself as a good ambassador of Islam through good deeds in and outside governance.
“The people of Oyoland will continue to show gratitude to Aregbesola for moving Oyoland from the status of a town to a city with the establishment of significant federal establishments,” he said.
In his lecture, an Associate Professor, Abass Alade, described Aregbesola as a privileged and fortunate person based on his various political positions.
Alade urged Aregbesola to remain humble and be grateful to Allah, his parents and humanity.
He advised him to continue to be closer to Allah, identify with the masses and not relent in assisting the people.
