At Muslim forum, PDP, SDP, AA gov candidates speak on plans for Ogun people

GOVERNORSHIP candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Action Alliance (AA) in Ogun State have met with the League of Imams and Alfas in the state to intimate them of their plans if elected.

The president of the group, Sheikh Sikirulai Babalola, said the interactive session, which was organised by the group’s Directorate of Leadership and Good Governance, was meant to allow the Muslim community to know the governorship candidates better.

At the event, the PDP candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, said his administration would ensure “true local government autonomy” and bring an end to farmers-herders clashes.

Adebutu, who was represented by his running mate, Adekunle Akinlade, explained that his administration’s seven-point agenda, ‘Iturade’, meant “improved security, true local government autonomy, urban and rural regional development, agricultural and economic development, development of youths and sports and enhancement of education, healthcare and social services.”

He said: “It is so unfortunate that we allowed the farmers and herders’ crisis to escalate, especially in Ogun West. The governor had three and a half years to handle this situation but he did that poorly.

“We have our plans and we can’t roll them out. We can assure you that we have studied the situation and will proffer a lasting solution,” Adebutu said.

Adebutu’s counterpart in the SDP, Anthony Ojeshina, tagged his agenda as IEAI – Industrial, Energy, Agricultural and Infrastructural revolution.

Ojeshina, a former Commissioner for Environment in the state, promised to combine his experience in public and private sectors to create a model state.

“I had practised in the private sector before becoming a commissioner. I realised that I can combine the two for the development of the state. I have a brain for creating a model state. I dream of a state that can be sustained with or without federal allocation. I want to take Ogun out of the list of states that cannot survive without federal allocation,” he said.

The AA candidate, Dr Samuel Adeyemi, promised to make Ogun’s economy bigger than Lagos’ in two years, saying that his governance style would be patterned after the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s, by providing free education from basic to tertiary level.

Adeyemi said his administration would invest in cocoa production, adding that farm settlements would be established with technological facilities to make 14,000 youths millionaires.

He said: “It is unfortunate that we are close to Lagos but far away in economy and we are not learning from them. When we get to office, we will make Ogun’s economy grow larger than Lagos’.

“Our budgets will be funded by the returns of the huge investment we will put in cocoa farming. We will bring our youths on board when we create farm settlements. It will be so digitally built that our youths who will be working there will see no need to leave the farm settlements. We will make up to 14,000 youths millionaires under our administration.”