…Assures Completion Of Ongoing Projects
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has assured the people in the state that his administration will provide an additional 10,000 affordable houses and complete all ongoing road projects, including the agro-cargo airport in the next four years.
He also promised to refurbish Primary Healthcare Centres in the 236 Wards in the State.
Abiodun who spoke at the Town Hall Meeting on the 2024-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the 2024 Budget for Remo Division, held at the Akarigbo Palace, Sagamu, also hinted at the construction of a Dry Port at Kajola and a Logistics Hub at Wasimi in collaboration with the private sector.
Represented at the meeting by his Deputy, Engr. (Mrs.) Noimot Salako-Oyedele, the governor said though his administration had done well in touching all sectors of the economy, especially in the provision of infrastructure, security and the general well-being of the people, efforts will be made in the next four years to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people.
He said: “We will be fully implementing e-learning programmes in our public schools while continuing with the reconstruction of schools and the provision of furniture. Our government will be collaborating with Lagos State to leverage the blue and red rail lines by investing in their extensions to Ogun State for the efficient transportation of people, goods, and services.
“We believe these will not only increase our ranking in the ease of doing business index but will also create jobs for thousands of our youths and sustain the momentum we have achieved as the industrial capital of Nigeria.
“It may interest you to know that our administration will commence the implementation of some other initiatives, like the Light-Up Ogun Project, taking advantage of the constitutional amendment to provide uninterrupted power supply to our major cities by collaborating with the private sector.
“We have already launched our e-mobility and gas mobility projects, through which our mass transport systems will be powered by electricity and gas and achieve carbon credit as we join other advanced countries in going green”, the governor added.
Abiodun said his government would prioritize the provision and supply of potable water to cities and towns, while the state would join the league of oil-producing states as discussions on the exploration of oil prospects at Tongeji Island and Olokola, had been concluded.
The governor emphasized that policies and reforms to enhance efficiency and effectiveness had been introduced, maintaining that more efforts will be committed to sustaining investment drive and maintaining the state’s position as the investors’ destination of choice.
Abiodun assured: “We will continue to develop our human capital through greater investment in quality healthcare service delivery, qualitative education, skill acquisition, and entrepreneurship.”
He recalled that his administration had constructed and rehabilitated many roads in the Sagamu division, including the Ilishan Market Road, Ilishan; Sagamu-Ikenne Road; Obafemi Awolowo Way; Mada-Takete Road; Orile Oko Road; Sagamu Junction-Iperu Roundabout Phase 1 (4 Lanes); Iperu Roundabout-Ode Road; Oba Erinwole Road (Phase I & II); Sagamu-Ode-Lemo Road, and the Ogun State Agro-Cargo Airport, among others.
The governor said the introduction of the online engagement platform during and after the Town Hall meetings was specifically done to bring the people closer and obtain their input towards the preparation of the MTEF and the Annual Appropriation Bill and to engender a bottom-up approach, which provides opportunity for the people to make contributions to their developmental needs and requirements.
The governor promised to adhere to the provisions of the State Fiscal Responsibility Law and demonstrate commitment to transparency and accountability in the utilisation of resources for the benefit of the people.
Abiodun said his administration will not turn away from the pragmatic and strategic approach which is geared towards formulating policies and implementing developmental programmes across all the critical sectors of the state’s societal structure.
The governor maintained that in order to address the current global challenges, his administration would continue to adopt developmental policies that will stimulate and gradually activate the state’s economy to grow faster than it did in the pre-COVID-19 era.
According to him, this will be done through realistic up-scaling investments in critical socio-economic sectors, infrastructure, sustainable debt management, as well as deepening structural reforms in governance, public service, and business regulations.
The Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr. Olaolu Olabimtan, in his remarks, said 125 projects that cut across the ISEYA development pillars, have been executed in Remoland, adding that the meeting was not an annual ritual, but a platform to hear from the people and ensure that their inputs were included in the State budget.
He said the Budget was based on ISEYA pillars and the allocation of funds on projects that have direct effects on the people as well as even the distribution of resources across the divisions of the State.
Akarigbo of Remoland, His Highness Oba Babatunde Ajayi, commended the governor for the infrastructural projects that have been cited in the division, even as he called for the construction of more roads and the provision of electricity to cities and towns in the axis.
Representatives of trade unions, religious bodies, student bodies, and associations, among others, called for the reconstruction of some of the deplorable roads, repair and construction of markets and renovation of schools in the division.
