Changing Outlook of Oyo’s Food Basket

Kemi Olaitan writes that the Oyo State government under Governor Seyi Makinde, is engaging in infrastructural development of cities outside the state capital

That Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has continued to endear himself to the people of the pacesetter state due to the massive development that the state has witnessed since he assumed office in May 29, 2019, could only be an understatement.

The governor at his inauguration assured of moving the state from the level that it had found itself as a result of misrule of past administrations to one that will be respected among the comity of states in the country in terms of provisions of necessary infrastructure such as good roads and housing estates.

While to many skeptics this can only be realisable in the realm of dreams, but three years into the life of his administration, Governor Makinde has continued to fulfil his promises not only in Ibadan, the state capital, also in virtually all the major cities in the state such as Saki in Oke Ogun area of the state, which has been dubbed the second capital of the state.

For indigenes and residents of the ancient town, one thing that became a source of worry to them was the township road not touched by successive administrations. A sigh of relief was however to come their way when late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, in December 2016, flagged off the dualisation of the 9.7km road with a completion period of 18 months. The road awarded to Adold Engineering Development Company at a contract sum of N8,239,875,839.47, was not completed before the administration left office in 2019.

With the road practically abandoned leading to suffering of residents who alongside the traditional ruler of the historic town made representations to the governor for a redemption of the stagnated project, Governor Makinde, determined to change the face of the town, terminated the contract due to what he called inconsistencies and underperformance by the contractor.

The administration subsequently in September 2020 re-awarded the road project to Messrs Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Ltd, under the Alternative Project Funding Approach (APFA), at a cost of N4,796,000,000, with completion period of 12 months.

For a project that many believed would go the way like others in the past, it is already completed and commissioned with a spur of about 1.2km to the boundary of Kwara State also approved for dualisation by the governor. The people of the community led by the Okere of Saki, Oba Khalid Olabisi, have since been showering encomiums on Governor Makinde for counting them worthy of having the dividends of democracy.

The monarch speaking through the National President, Saki Parapo, Chief Adedayo Adejumobi, said the people of the town would continue to be grateful to the governor for the tremendous development he has brought to the town, stating that with the completion of the road which is dear to the people not only of the town but the entire Oke Ogun area, commerce will greatly increase in the community.

According to him, “I want to appreciate the present government under the leadership of Engineer Makinde because we have never had it so good. Apart from the time of late Bola Ige and Lam Adesina, other previous governments neglected this area in terms of infrastructure, education, health and other social amenities.

“Before the governor came into power, there were so many abandoned projects. Look at the township stadium, which has been like that since the time of Lam Adesina. Look at the former OYSADEP, which is now OYSADA. Our school situation is also worst. But immediately Governor Makinde came to power, he has been fulfilling his promises in the aspect of education and other areas. On health, our former state hospital has been upgraded to a specialist hospital and well-staffed.”

On his part, the Chairman, Saki West Local Government Area, Engineer Sarafadeen Omirinde, said the road project was a welcome development lauded by every sons and daughters of Saki. According to him, the completion of the dualisation of the township road will be a source of great relief to the people who had been subjected to harrowing experience on the road neglected for donkey years while it will accelerate in bringing development to the town.

The council boss similarly lauded Governor Makinde on other projects that have changed the face of the town that include rehabilitation of primary health centres, installation of a new traditional ruler and moving the headquarters of Oyo State Agriculture Development Project (OYSADEP) now Oyo State Agricbusiness Development Agency ( OYSADA) back to Saki from Ibadan, assuring that the people have no choice but to pay the governor back with their votes during the 2023 gubernatorial elections.

“For a very long time, we have never come across a governor like this. The people of Saki West local government area give kudos to him and will always stand by him. And that is the reason why we are clamouring for hi second term. Yes, we want continuity for him as a matter of fact.

“To speak on the ongoing projects here, the past government spent eight years and what did our people benefit from those years? Instead, they were rather exposed to a lot of dangers on our roads. Infrastructure-wise, nothing was done but we thank God that Governor Makinde, has completed a dual-carriageway in this township. Though a lot of structures have been pulled down because of this project, the people of Saki Parapo still appreciate it because there is no gain when you feel no pain and we need it.

‘’Saki West Local Government is no longer a village but a city. Apart from the road project, we have OYSADA which was in a terrible state before the coming of his administration, today it is wearing a new look. He also promised that the sporting activities in the town will be developed and the abandoned stadium fixed and upgraded to a modern one.

” With what he is doing for us in the aspect of sports, we believe that very soon our youths here will have a team that will be able to compete with the 3Sc of Ibadan. Indeed, Governor Makinde has taken us out of the bondage we were in before as he has done a lot for us in the four cardinal areas upon which his administration is resting on.

“The first thing he did for us after he came into office that we will never forget was the installation of the Okere of Saki land. Nobody believed it could happen. So, we are feeling the impact of the governor. Makinde has changed the face of Saki West to the extent that our people in the diaspora are clamouring for his second term.

“Also, in Saki West today, five primary health centres in different wards are undergoing rehabilitation out of 11 wards that we have here while the abandoned state hospital was fixed four months into his administration. We can also talk about the YEAP initiative, which our youths just partook in. Some of the beneficiaries are here today and most of them now have much interest in agriculture.

‘’All the projects that Governor Makinde are executing are really improving the economy of Saki West. For instance, my neighbour, an iron-pot maker for the eight years of Governor Ajimobi, never deemed it fit to go to Ibadan to get the raw materials to produce his products because of the condition of Iseyin-Moniya road.

“But immediately the road was fixed by the governor, himself and others in the business are now back and their business is moving. Also, transportation business has become viable because of the condition of the road”, Omirinde said.

Speaking in the same vein, the Special Assistant, Federal Constituency Matters, Dr. Lukman Adisa, said the completion of the dualisation of the township road would engender a big boom in trade and commerce in the long run as the town is an agrarian community with the governor doing a lot to promote the agricultural sector.

While charging the federal government to emulate the state in judicious use of government resources, he lauded Governor Makinde for coming to the town to celebrate his birthday with his cabinet members, noting that such a novel idea makes the people to have a sense of belonging in the government that is running their affairs.

According to him, “I want to urge the government at the centre to imbibe the culture of maintenance which Governor Makinde is displaying in Oyo State. They need to look inwards and how to manage the little resources we have in this country. If the governor can manage the available resources in this state to better the lives of Oyo State residents, I don’t see why the federal government cannot do the same. That is why we need a good manager at the centre there. The governor is paying salaries of workers, gratuity as and when due without any magic.

“We have never had it good like this in the history of Oyo State where the governor will come to Saki to celebrate Christmas and his cabinet with us and took all his cabinet members along. Invariably, he has pronounced here as the second capital of Oyo State. We have where to host him as he has provided the Governor’s Lodge, he has also promised to give us a presidential lodge. So, we have everything to host government, either state or federal.”

The Deputy Director, Administration and Supply, OYSADA, Mr. Olaniyi Olajule, said the governor has touched every department in the agency and turned things around positively, stating that the agency is wearing new look with facilities such as Farmers’ Hall, Library, Hospitality building, renovated Governor’s Lodge and the entire landscape of the premises fenced with cement blocks.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Park Managers in Saki West local government, Comrade Dauda Ahmed (aka Destiny), said the transport workers in the town could not but be happy with the completion of the dualisation of the township road given the havoc that the deplorable condition of the road has wrecked on their vehicles, noting that their appeal to past administrations concerning the road always fell on deaf ears and that the Makinde-led administration has lifted a great burden on them.

He said, “For us transport workers in this town, we cannot but salute the state government for completing the road which has been deplorable. It is a great relief to us as it will bring an end to taking our vehicles to the mechanics for repair everyday. The road is so bad that even if one should put a new vehicle on it, it does not solve your problem of visiting the mechanics everyday.”

A resident, Mrs. Bolatito Akomolafe, who is a trader in the town’s main market, while lamenting that the bad condition of the township road affected her business, said the completion of the road will bring economic development to the ancient town as more people will be coming to purchase goods from the market men and women in the town, saying, “ we are happy with the road project, this is because its deplorable condition in the past does not allow people from outside the town to come and buy our goods given the fact that we are the food basket of the state. Most times we always record losses as the goods perished with nobody to buy them”.

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“The governor at his inauguration assured of moving the state from the level that it had found itself as a result of misrule of past administrations to one that will be respected among the comity of states in the country in terms of provisions of necessary infrastructure, such as good roads and housing estates”