GOVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has inaugurated the dualisation of the 9.7 kilometre Saki Township Road, just as he emphasised that the state was yet to receive its share of excess deductions on Paris Club payment.
Emphasising that the state was excluded in the initial disbursement of the funds to some states, Ajimobi said that the state is currently reconciling accounts with the Federal Government so as to get its own share of the Paris Club debts over deduction fund.
Ajimobi gave this clarification on Tuesday at the second town hall meeting held with stakeholders in Oke Ogun at the Harmony Garden, Saki.
Prior to the meeting, Ajimobi had inaugurated the dualisation of the dual carriage way of the Poly/Ibariba Road, Saki, awarded at N8,239,875,839.47 and expected to be completed within 18months.
He pointed out that the project would be funded from the Federal Government Infrastructure Intervention Fund.
“One of the cardinal programmes of my administration is to dualise the major entry points to towns within the state, to give them an unprecedented facelift. We have started in Ibadan, Oyo, Ogbomoso and Iseyin.
“We assure our people of good governance through basic infrastructure and people-oriented programmes. We are ready to restore the acclaim of Oke Ogun zone as the food basket of the state and to also contribute significantly to the improvement of the socio-economic activities in the zone.”
While addressing residents of the state, Ajimobi asserted the commitment of the state government towards ensuring food security, through its Agric-Oyo programme which has commenced in 10 local governments in Oke Ogun area of the state.
He said that the government would make use of the arable land in Oke Ogun zone for agriculture, with assurances that his administration would make the zone the centre of agricultural revolution in the South-West.
Ajimobi pointed out that the state government was modelling Malaysia where the government was luring investors to utilise the free land in Oke Ogun zone to develop the state.
He also assured the Oke Ogun communities of an end to Bororo farmers’ crises, premising his optimism on a tripartite committee set up by the state government to foster regular dialogue between farmers and Bororo cattle rearers.
“Agriculture is the foundation of the development of Oke Ogun and I urge our people to fully utilise the land in the zone for agricultural produce. We want our traditional leaders to point to their cassava farms, maize farms, yam farms, rice farms amongst others,” he said.
Ajimobi restated that his administration would not relent in turning around education in the state, adding that the government would ensure that the new Schools Governing Board (SGB) model is fully implemented.
Responding, some of the stakeholders at the meeting commended the governor for the creation of Local Council Development Authorities (LCDAs), the provision of adequate security and the government’s efforts to develop new water works in the state.
In his own address, the representative of Saki Parapo, the umbrella body for all indigenous groups, unions and associations in Saki, Chief S. A. Onifade, appreciated the state government for the road dualisation and prayed for the speedy completion.