Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has declared that if he is re-elected into office, the administration will make concerted efforts to lift the local economy of communities in the historic Oyo town as well as that of the entire state.
The governor declared that the efforts of his administration in expanding the economy of the state through agribusiness has begun to yield immense results, noting that about 10 agro-processing industries have subscribed to the Fashola Agribusiness Industrial Hub being put up by the state.
The governor, who stated these while campaigning in Oyo East, Oyo West and Atiba Local Government Areas of the state, on Friday, said his government would do more in the area of engaging local contractors and industries.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, also quoted the governor as saying that if he re-elected, he would implement Omituntun 2.0, which centres on sustainable development and consolidation of gains already recorded by the administration under Omituntun 1.0.
Governor Makinde charged residents of the three councils to elect candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the National Assembly, governorship and State House of Assembly elections, saying his administration has achieved quite a lot but that he would build on the foundations he has laid in the last 44 months.
The governor spoke at different campaign points, including separate meetings with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) at the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Alagbon Oyo; the Muslim Ummah at the house of the Chief Imam of Oyo, Dancanca and the traditional worshippers at the Ifa Temple, Bara, Oyo.
While addressing Muslim clerics, the governor promised a donation of N10 Million towards the completion of Oyo Central Mosque project, saying that he will continue to be fair to all religious organisations in the state.
The governor, who is also the PDP governorship standard-bearer for the March 11 governorship election, equally met with the traditional council at Baba lyaji’s Compound, alongside his running mate and deputy governor, Barr. Abdulroheem Bayo Lawal and a host of other leaders.
Speaking with traditional rulers in Oyo, Makinde appealed to them and all residents of the town to support him so that he would continue to move Oyo State people from poverty to prosperity.
At the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Alagbon, where he met with CAN leaders, the governor appreciated all Christian leaders for their support for his administration in the last four years.
He said: “The 2023 election is fast approaching, and I want to beseech you to take active part in the process. “Go to the pulpit and mobilise this time around.
“We cannot wait for God to do everything /for us, because he has given us all we need to make things work for us. God categorically said in the Bible that ‘He will bless the work of our hands’.
“Don’t be shy about it. All our candidates are here, and we are urging you to vote for us on those days. I can assure you that they will be truthful to the people of Oyo State and serve this state diligently. You have listed many things we have done, which are under Omituntun 1.0, more will come under Omituntun 2.0.
“You talked about the Oyo-Iseyin road, which is a federal road but we took it up because of our people. You talked about industry and creation of jobs for our children, and that is what we are doing at Fashola.
“The processing and agro-processing units that have subscribed to the hub are over 10.”
The governor also used the opportunity to make a case for why residents should elect PDP candidates for the National Assembly seats, noting that it would be easier to secure their cooperation on efforts that can develop the state.
Citing how the state met with opposition from National Assembly members over the Oyo-Iseyin Road, Makinde said: “But the people that are currently representing this state at the National Assembly gave us a lot of problems while seeking for approval to fix the road.
“As a matter of fact, I went to Abuja up to five times to see the Minister of Works. When I discovered they proposed N135 Million in the budget to fix the road, I told the Minister that we have done the estimate of what and what will be involved and we came to about N8bn.
“So, we were asked to fix it with our resources following federal standards, which later put the money at N10bn.
“The point I am trying to make is, if you elect those that would not cooperate with us and they have the opportunity to go to Abuja, we will continue to have the same challenges. I can assure you that our candidates, when they get to Abuja, will cooperate with the state government to deliver dividends of democracy to our people.
“With the little resources we have as a struggling state, we can manage to carry out four projects. But if we have people in Abuja who can cooperate with us, we can come up with over ten projects easily. “That is why we want you religious leaders to stand on the pulpit and begin to mobilise our people. Ensure they come out to vote for us on February 25th and March 11th. Don’t vote for me only, vote for all the candidates of the PDP.”
