The Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun has said that community leaders would be involved in the siting of projects in their areas for proper tracking, monitoring and sustainability.
The Governor who spoke at the Virtual Town Consultative Meeting on 2020-2021 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and 2020 Budget for Ogun Central Senatorial District held at the Governor’s office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, noted that involving community leaders would enable them take ownership of such projects an ensure proper maintenance.
He said a project tracking committee which was already in place, would work with people in the various communities in the State to see that projects executed in their areas meet required standards.
Gov. Abiodun promised to leave the state better than he met it and give equal attention to its three senatorial districts in projects’ execution and provision of basic amenities.
Abiodun, who spoke at the Virtual Consultative Meeting for Ogun Central Senatorial District on the 2020-2021 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and 2021 Budget held at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, also pledged to accord Abeokuta the deserved attention as the capital city of the state.
The Governor restated his desire not to abandon the uncompleted projects inherited from the administration of his predecessor.
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He said, “It is also one of our promises that any inherited projects that have clear line of sight to the development of our dear State will not be abandoned. In fact, those that could no longer be used for their initial purposes will be converted to the advantage of our dear State. Example is the conversion of the previously abandoned Model School at Kobape road into the Ogun Tech Hub.
“As a matter of fact, since inception of our Administration on May 29, 2019, we have continued to hold as a matter of policy to embark on projects that continue to have positive impacts on the lives of our people.
“In doing this, we are deliberate and calculated in our approach to inclusive and good governance to ensure that meaningful and positive projects are initiated across the three Senatorial Districts of our dear State.”
While reeling out some of the projects executed so far on road, housing, agriculture, education, health and youth empowerment, among other areas, Abiodun said it was in demonstration of his administration’s sincerity to the people and commitment to good governance.
He further assured of wholesome approach to infrastructural development in all sectors of the State’s economy.
The Governor listed some completed and ongoing projects in the district to include Kuto Bridge and its surroundings to Simeon Adebo Library, Lafenwa-Rounder/Olohunda Ayetoro Road, Panseke-Adigbe Road, Brewery-Olomore-Ita-Oshin Road.
He added that within the last 17 months of the present administration, the state government has constructed 130 housing units at Prince Court Phase I; 300 units at Kemta-Idi-Aba Prince Court Phase II; 300 units housing project ongoing at Kobape Housing Estate and another 23 units at Laderin Workers Estate for civil servants and many more.
Abiodun observed that from contributions and suggestions from other disticts, good road network was one of the critical needs of the people, stressing that his administration would think out of the box and devise innovative ways of fixing the roads.
While encouraging people of the zone to come up with practical suggestions and ideas to assist government in delivering dividends of democracy, he said he had approved that town hall meeting be held twice a year to enable government to get feedback on what affects them.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr. Olaolu Olabimtan, who solicited the people’s support in moving the state forward, said the meeting was to reach out to the citizens and get their inputs towards arriving at a people-oriented budget
Contributing, the Osile of Oke-Ona, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, called for the completion of uncompleted road projects and rehabilitation of inner roads within the district, particularly in Abeokuta.
On his part, an Egba Chief Yomi Majekodunmi, advocated the setting up of a logistics hub in the Senatorial District and advised the state government to leverage on diaspora funding and work with realistic budget.
Mr. Kehinde Sogunle, of the Egba Economic Summit, suggested the involement of community leaders in project execution for sustainability as well as adequate funding for the Ogun Tech Hub to serve as centre of excellence in Information and Communication Technology development in the country.
Both Chief Sina Luwoye and Senator Gbenga Obadara stressed the need for the creation of a compendium to capture tax payments in the State. They also advised that capital expenditure should be more than recurrent to accelerate development.
Other speakers at the meeting included Semiu Lawal, Transition Committee Chairman, Odeda Local Government Area, who spoke on behalf of transition chairmen in the State; Engr. Adekunle Mokuolu, former president, Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Rev. (Dr.) Wale Owoniyi, President, Baptist Conference, who represented Christian Association Nigeria, and Sheik Iskeel Sugar, who represented the League of Imams and Alfas in the State.
