Gov Adeleke restates commitment to infrastructure devt in Osun

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has restated his commitment to infrastructure development in Osun, saying his administration will not stop until Osun attains the number one position on the infrastructure rating.

The governor disclosed this in a statement made available by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed in Osogbo, shortly after receiving City People’s award as the Most Impactful Governor of the Year in Infrastructure.

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The state commissioner for Information and public enlightenment, Hon. Kolapo Alimi, represented the governor at the occasion.

Adeleke said his administration remains unwavering in its commitment to complete all ongoing and new projects.

The governor said “his goal was to bridge the huge infrastructure deficit he inherited by spreading development across the local governments and the main cities and town centres.”

He said the state is getting infrastructural upgrades across all sectors and maintained the commitment of his administration towards top-notch public amenities for the people.

However, in a separate statement by governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the governor agitated for adoption of Asian and Arab models in the diaspora policy of Nigeria.

The governor made the agitation while delivering a lecture in London at an event organised by the Cultural Hangout Festival, held in commemoration of Africa Day,

The spokesperson who hinted that Adeleke was represented at the occasion by Otunba Soji Adewusi said sustainable cultural renaissance and economic empowerment of Africans in the diaspora demands the adoption of the Arab, Indian and the Asian strategies.

“The Asian, Indian and Arab communities in the diaspora are tightly knitted together. They not only maintained strong cultural ties in the diaspora, they maintained coordinated linkage with their home communities. The Pakistanis, the Indians, the Arabs never for once neglect their cultural practices nor severe ties with their home base. They build their success stories on the tradition and customs which they imported into the diaspora.

“As of today all over Europe and North America, the Asians are the most successful immigrant communities. Their weaponization of culture as a platform of empowerment works so much for the Asians that Africans should take a cue. The abandonment of individualism as migrant strategies works for the Asians and it should work for the Africans,” the Governor noted in the lecture.

According to him, African leaders have a lot to learn from the Asians, submitting that governmental and diplomatic support for the Diaspora community is not yet at par with the Asian diaspora diplomatic strategy.

“Unlike pervasive individualism which has crept into the diplomatic service and Diaspora community, the Asian consulates are designed to directly promote the diaspora in terms of diplomatic and economic support.

“There is the need for the African government to regard the diaspora as a strong economic asset and robustly deploy diplomatic infrastructure to empower our citizens all over the world. Our diplomatic structures must run outreach programmes,” he advocated.

The event was attended by cultural icons and dignitaries from several African countries.