Osun: Gov Aregbesola denies slapping his Deputy, Mrs. Grace Tomori

By GBENGA OLARINOYE
OSOGBO - Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola has denied ever
slapping his deputy, Mrs. Grace Tomori, stressing that the rumor was
aimed at causing disaffection capable of destabilising the state.
The governor said a cordial relationship exists between the two of them.
He added that "I have never beaten anybody in my life. In fact, I
don't beatmy children, let alone beating any other person. More so,
the Deputy Governor is older than me, so how do I beat an elderly
person."
Governor Aregbesola, who spoke during a seven hour live programme
tagged 'Ogbeni till day break,' weekend, maintained: "I don't have any
quarrel with my Deputy, and I can't have any with her because I
intentionally chose her and no one choose her for me.
"I think I can work with her and that is why I chose her. So, no
differences exist between us."
The deputy governor who was also present at the programme confirmed
the claims of the governor when she was asked to respond to the
allegation that the governor once slapped her.
The deputy governor stressed that a cordial relationship exists
between her and the governor,, adding that she would remain loyal to
the governor.
On the crisis rocking the Nigerian Governors' Forum (NGF), Governor
Aregbesola said: "Let the NGF take care of itself. The forum is a
voluntary one and it is not compulsory that every Governor is a
member."
He also denied insinuation that the debt profile of the state has
risen to N300 billion, saying that the opposition was only making the
allegation to destabilise the progress of the state and cause
confusion.
…lauded by Okonjo-Iweala, World Bank, over good governance
The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has observed that
Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, through his programmes,
has demonstrated that good governance is possible.
Also, the World Bank confirmed that the Federal Government's Youth
Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) was replicated from
the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) started by Aregbesola.
In the same breath, the governor said that the nation would be great
economically only if its people became very productive.