All the Local government Caretaker Chairmen in Ondo state, under the aegis of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), on Wednesday unanimously endorsed the state governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, for the second term in office.
The Chairmen who made their position known after their meeting at the Government House in Akure, the Ondo state capital, during a press briefing, said the decision to support Akeredolu for another term was on the massive infrastructural renewal and the present administration giant stride in industrialising the state.
The ALGON Chairman in the state and Caretaker Chairman of Akoko South-West Local Government Area, Hon. Augustine Oloruntogbe, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, hinged their decision to endorse the governor for a second term on what he described as the uncommon turn-around of the state by the present administration.
According to him, Akeredolu has changed the face of the state within two years saying the Akeredolu led government had succeeded in moving the state from a civil service state to an industrial hub, thereby creating jobs for teeming youths in the state.
He disclosed that the Caretaker Chairmen across the state had visited the Ondo Linyi Industrial hub, Ore, in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state, where Paper Mill factory, Ethanol Factory, Plywood Factory, Winwin Textile factory are sited.
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Oloruntogbe explained that this would be the first time Ondo State would witness a deliberate action to make it join the league of industrialised states in the federation, saying Akeredolu has tremendously improved the economy of the state.
He further lauded the governor for his effort at improving the Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR) of the state, which recently made the Joint Tax Board, (JTB) to rate the state as its 2017-2018 best in IGR Performance among the thirty-six states of the federation with a growth rate of over 126℅.
He commended Akeredolu for his aggressive infrastructural and industrial development of the state, saying no governor in the history of the state has done so much with so little resources available to it.
He said “Today, having gone round and seen things for ourselves, we are gathering here to tell the whole of Nigeria, especially the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, that there is a gift in Ondo state that is waiting for Nigeria to tap in the person of Akeredolu.
“Therefore, we are gathering here to unanimously endorse him for a second term in office. We are not doing this from an act of sycophancy, but base on what we have seen”
He said the Chairmen were convinced base on giant strides of the governor in the areas of socio-economic transformation which include the Industrial hub, seaport among others, saying if given another opportunity he would enable him to do more for the development of the state and the citizenry.
He said the governor has been a blessing to the state and has performed wonders in the last two years in office, and explained that they are speaking the minds of the people at the grassroots who they represent.
