When Buhari visited Akeredolu

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, went on a working visit to Ondo State and commissioned a number of projects to mark the third year anniversary of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in office. HAKEEM GBADAMOSI brings some highlights of the events.

THE timing of last Tuesday’s visit of President Muhammadu Buhari, to Ondo State was in no way by accident but specifically slated to coincide with the third year anniversary of the administration of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in the state designed to showcase the achievements of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)  in the last three years.  It was the visit the official visit of the President to the state in his five years at the helms of affairs. His visit to the state in 2019 was when his campaign train berthed in the state to canvass for votes. It is, however, seen as a wise decision by Akeredolu, to invite the President to witness and inaugurate some of the projects executed by his administration in the state.

The visit affordedthe governor the opportunity to reel out his achievements in the last three years, in terms of infrastructural development. Akeredolu explained the efforts of his administration to industrialise the state was designed to ensure rapid transformation in the state, noting that his efforts led to Chinese investors coming on board and culminating in what was being celebrated in the state as the first of its kind. According to the governor, the Chinese investors noted that the state has a huge potential, which they could put their money into and derive bountiful returns. It was on this score that they went into a collaboration with the state, which has led to the establishment of about seven industries at the Ore Industrial park. Akeredolu said this was achieved because the state has diverse resources ranging from agriculture to mineral deposits that the Chinese investors would explore.

To some analysts, the action taken by the Akeredolu government is one of the best business decisions the state ever took, as it has changed the narrative of the state from being a civil service-driven economy to an industry -based economy. This how Akeredolu underscored the paradigm shift: “What is on ground today is a result of painstaking planning, serious determination, collective efforts and a proof that great developments can happen if all stakeholders come together.This project has the collaborative efforts and input of Mr. President’s administration and your dedication to power sector reforms, agricultural funding, and investments incentivisation. It also has the indelible inputs of the Ondo State government in several areas. Part of the strategic planning we put in place was to ensure that the industrial revolution is sustainable through a process of backward integration.”

The Ondo-Linyi Industrial Hub, according to the governor, which houses the first ever Medium Density Fibre (MDF) Factory in Nigeria, also has Nigeria’s highest volume cassava to ethanol factories, producing 300 metric tonnes of ethanol every day, as well as the nation’s first MDF factory through Wewood; a High Density Fibreboard (HDF) and pPlywood production line.Also in the hub is the first locally produced lace fabrics in the state, which are certified by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and MANCAP through Win-Win Textiles; and a paper production factory, among others.

The governor said apart from creating employment opportunities for the people, the investors also embarked on the transfer knowledge, with the first batch of 100 trainees currently undergoing knowledge transfer through intensive training in various areas of their interest. They are to be given priority of employment at the Ondo-Linyi Industrial Hub.

“Already, our youths are being directly employed in their thousands. The employment ratio of Nigerians to expatriates here is in the range of 40:1 in favour of Nigerians. Our farmers benefit directly from supply of raw materials, and the multiplier effects have stimulated logistics, hospitality, construction, banking and other service sectors of our economy in Ondo State and Nigeria in general,” he stated.

Akeredolu said the plans of his administration was to turn the southern part of the state to a commercial hub, while the northern district would be used for large scale agriculture to ensure food security, just as the central part houses technology and innovation centres. He announced that in the near future a high volume vehicle assembly and production plant, wine distillery, dairy factory, clothing production company and metal production firm would be established in the industrial hub. According to him, “With the Free Trade Zone of Ondo State situated nearby, and the progress we are making on the deep seaport, our industrial revolution is near fruition, and the future which is very nearby, fills us with hope.”

The Ore Industrial Park is fashioned after the Linyi Municipal Government of Shandong province in China. So, investors under the Shandong group have made good their promise to make Ondo State a model for a one-stop industrial park in the country.And if the experience of the Linyi’s economy, which is based around its wholesale markets and an annual trade volume of 40 billion RMB (~US$5 billion) is anything to go by, the Ondo State government has set a standard by which governance would be measured in the country.The commissioning of the Ore Interchange (flyover) was another impactful project inaugurated by the President Buhari. Akeredolu said the project was put in place to put an end to the constant huge loss of lives and goodsoften experienced on the road intersection. Akeredolu, however, requested for the refund of state funds spent on federal roads in the state. He specifically appealed to the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to facilitate the approval of the President, for the funds expended on all Federal Government projects in Ondo State, including the interchange totaling about N10.89billion. He listed the projects as Aboto – Olokola road; Ore – Okitipupa Road;, Construction of the interchange flyover across Lagos – Benin highway at Ore, among others.

While commissioning the projects, the President described all the projects executed by Akeredolu within the last three years in office as remarkable, affirming that the hub would bring a positive impact on the people of the state. He called on manufacturers in the country to increase local raw materials inputs in their production to help to increase and improve local content capacity in the country.On the Ondo-Linyi Industrial hub and the flyover in Ore, President Buhari said: “Let me start by congratulating the governor and people of Ondo State for this remarkable achievement. I’m impressed with what is on the ground here and I anticipate the positive impact it will have on people of this state. I still recalled the initial brief from Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on this project at its conception. Back then, it was an idea. Today, due to hard work, dedication, and commitment to delivering inclusive growth, that idea has now become a reality.

“I take this opportunity to commend investors who saw Nigeria and Ondo State in particular as a viable investment destination. I want to assure you of our continued support both at federal and state level as we move forward to the next phase of this project’s lifecycle.

“I am confident that this project based here will utilise locally available raw materials to create jobs for young men and women in this locality, increase knowledge and capacity, and support our import substitution policy.” He commended Akeredolu for his foresight and promised that the Federal Government will fulfill its obligations to the state on the construction of the Interchange Flyover soon. ‘’During the civil war and during my campaigns since 2002, I have become familiar with the terrain of Ore which is a connecting city between the South-West and the eastern parts of our country. As a result of this, the city has a cosmopolitan population that is in the neighbourhood of 300,000.This is a city that can be described as a mini-Nigeria as almost all the ethnic groups of our country are happily represented here. Let me commend Governor Akeredolu and his team for their great efforts and professionalism in putting this project in place. This project is executed in line with the spirit and drive of the Federal Government which puts great emphasis on infrastructural development across our country, especially in the area of transportation. ‘’

The president commended the Akeredeolu administration for clearing six out of the seven months’ arrears of salaries/pensions owed by the previous administration, noting that, ‘’It is gratifying to note that Ondo State is one of the first few states in Nigeria that have started implementing the New Minimum Wage.’You have been able to achieve these feats in spite of limited available resources. I am not surprised at this because available records show that Ondo State has recorded the highest percentage leap in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) among the states, due to the effort of the APC government here.”

No doubt, the visit of the President to the Sunshine state undoubtedly, has achieved great success by all standards and in all ramifications, political, social and economically.