Governor-elect of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun has allayed fears that his administration will further marginalise the Ogun West Senatorial district which is dominated by the Yewa people of the state.
Abiodun said his administration will rather address the infrastructural deficit and harness the potential of the district and its people.
The governor-elect stated this when members of the Yewa Development Forum paid a courtesy visit to his residence in Iperu Remo. The Prof. Biyi Afonja-led forum comprising of Yewa elders and other stakeholders was established in 2016 by the Yewa Traditional Council headed by the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle.
He said his plans to improve the socio-economic condition of the people cannot be actualised without the inclusion of the people of Yewaland adding that government projects will be distributed evenly across all the senatorial districts without neglecting one for the other.
“I want to sincerely appreciate your team for a well-articulated presentation and I urge other communities to emulate your style. Some weeks ago, Remo Development Forum also made this kind of presentation and it shows our people are more advanced and ready to ensure they contribute to the success of my administration.
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“Let me use this medium to reaffirm that my manifesto is not a coincidence but a well-thought-out plan which would be implemented when I assume office. And with the reports of my Economic Transition Committee, we are set to take Ogun State to the next level.
“We have compiled all the deplorable roads in all the 20 local governments of the state and the Public Works Department that will be reactivated will rehabilitate and reconstruct those roads as the case may be; from the first week of my administration.
“Also, Atan-Agbara road, Papalanto-Ilaro road, Sagamu-Lagos, Ijebu Ode-Epe road and all other major roads you have outlined will be given utmost priority within our first year in office.
“In the area of Agriculture, Ogun State is being projected to export farm produce to neighbouring states within our first year in office thereby, creating jobs for our teeming youths and enhancing the prosperity of our farmers.
“Sports, tourism and natural resources of the state will be harnessed through public-private sector partnership,” Abiodun said.
Abiodun added that the security challenges facing the state will be addressed aggressively and the border areas will be captured in terms of physical planning infrastructure, revenue and taxes via the proposed joint development commission between Lagos and Ogun States respectively.
The Yewa delegation berated the marginalisation of the people in the district saying Yewa is the most marginalised axis of Ogun State.
The delegation also urged the business mogul to give Yewa a full-fledged university by converting the newly-established Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia to Ogun State University of Science and Technology.
Speaking on behalf of the Yewa delegation, Prof. Anthony Asiwaju said, ”we wanted a Yewa son to be governor but we jubilated when your Excellency was declared as the governor-elect because if it had gone the other way round, the misfortune of Yewa-Awori land would have persisted.
“Yewa is blessed with arable land for farming, a large deposit of natural resources and we urge your Excellency to explore these areas for the benefit of the axis and the state at large. We also urge you to urgently address the infrastructural decay in our area and make our border areas secure and beneficial to our people.”
Other members of the delegation include perennial governorship candidate in the state, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, Otunba Akeem Adigun, Prof. Tope Popoola, Dr Kunle Salako, Engr Diran Ayanleye, Alh. Raheem Egungboun, Chief Kunle Amosu.