Makinde presides over Exco meeting in Saki, to flag off Ido-Eruwa Road
…says he has fulfilled his electoral promises to Ibarapa North, Central
Oyo State governor and standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 11, 2023 governorship election, ‘Seyi Makinde, will flag off the reconstruction of the Ido-Eruwa Road on Wednesday, February 1, 2023.
The governor gave this indication on Tuesday, while addressing the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Ibarapa North Local Government, at the First Baptist Church, Idere.
Governor Makinde, who campaigned in Ibarapa North and Ibarapa Central Local Government Areas, covering Igangan, Tapa, Idere, Ayete and Igboora, declared that he has fulfilled his promises to the people of Ibarapa and that under Omituntun 2.0, things would be better.
The governor and his cabinet members had earlier held the State Executive Council meeting at the OYSADA Complex, Saki, where the Council approved the contract for the reconstruction of the Ido-Eruwa road project, which was abandoned by the previous APC government.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the governor at different stops in Ibarapa North and Central LGs, urged residents of the state to vote for the PDP senatorial candidate in Oyo South, Chief Olasunkanmi Tegbe; the Ibarapa North/Ibarapa Central House of Representatives candidate, Dr. Anthony Adepoju and the House of Assembly candidate, Hon. Peter Ojedokun.
Governor Makinde had also met with the traditional council at the palace of the Olu of Igboora, where he reminded residents of Ibarapa Central about how he promised to fix roads in the area and how the administration has been attending to Eruwa-Lanlate-Maya Road, the Igboora-Igangan-Elekookan-Iganna Road and others.
The governor added that he has also granted Igboora community’s request for a substantive Rector for the Oyo State College of Agricultural Technology, noting that once the community gives him the name of its indigene who will be part of the Oyo State Rural Electrification Board, he would go ahead to constitute the Board this week.
Earlier, the governor met with the League of Imams and Alfas in Ibarapa North Local Government at the Ayete Central Mosque, Ayete, where he restated that his administration has, in the last 44 months, demonstrated fairness to all religions.
The governor also met with the leadership of the traditional worshippers (Isese) in Tapa.
He reassured the Isese Community that once the House of Assembly works on their request to declare August 20 a public holiday Isese Day, he would approve it.
The governor, who noted that while campaigning in 2019, he made a lot of promises on education, health and economic expansion, said he has fulfilled 80 per cent of the promises.
He said: “We made many promises which we have been able to achieve 80 per cent of it. We said our students will no longer pay N3,000 levy, which we have sustained. We promised them free textbooks and notebooks and we gave it to them.
“On health, we said each wards must have category 3 primary health care centre because we don’t want our people to move beyond one kilometre before they would be able to access health care.
“About 299 are being renovated as we speak. The ones in Ibarapa central are part of the 51 we want to modify and I can tell you that the ones we will do here will be better than those we have done before.
“The elites do think PHCs are for the poor but by the time we are done with what we are doing on the upgrade of those PHCs, they will patronise them and ignore going to private hospitals. We are turning the story around because there is a clinic in the Government House, which is being upgraded to the standard of PHC. By the time they are done, I will also be going there for medical attention.
“We said we would expand our economy through agribusiness, infrastructure and others but the major foundation is to do what will make us move freely across all the five zones in Oyo State. We see it as a foundation we can actually build upon. That was why we linked Ibadan to Oke-Ogun through Moniya-Ijaiye-Iseyin. We achieved that aim even with COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have achieved that of Oyo to Oke Ogun Zone. We have awarded Ogbomoso to Oke-Ogun zone. Now, the only one left is the linkage of Ibarapa to Ibadan zone.
“We had our Exco meeting this morning before we left Saki because we promised the people that either we campaign or not, we will work for them up till the last minute of the last day. So, despite campaign, we will continue to work.
“We have approved the contract for the Eruwa to Ido Road, and it will be flagged off tomorrow. Though the previous administration, through a Chinese company, awarded it to embezzled funds but we will collect our money back from them.
“So, we have laid the foundation on the linkages of our zones and all the infrastructure we are doing can stand the test of time. Ply through the Moniya to Iseyin Road, you will not see any pothole. We are deploying our resources to other areas now.”
The governor maintained that once the zonal linkages are solid, the administration will begin to work on the intra-zonal linkages, which he noted has started in Ibarapa already.
“So, for intra-zonal linkage, in another three months, the only linkage that will be remaining will be that of Igboora junction to Maya. We have one before Igboora that can be used to link the Express road. We also have the one from Eruwa Farm settlement. Once we are done with the other two I told you, then, we would have achieved 60 per cent.
“We also promised you we will improve on our Security. Before now, we didn’t have Amotekun. It is our own creation. We now have 2,000 personnel, which is more than all we have in the South-Western states, put together.
“When there was crisis at Igangan, I came here personally and slept at Igboora just to demonstrate that I will always be with the people of Ibarapaland. We achieved all of this with your cooperation and I promise that Omituntun 2.0 will be and upgrade where we will have a sweeter experience,” he added.
On the entourage of the governor were chieftains of the PDP in the state, members of the Oyo State Advisory Council, commissioners and other top government functionaries.
