Ìbadan stands still as Tinubu commissions flyover, 2 other projects
Written by Tunde Ogunesan and Gbemi Solaja TRÌBUNE Wednesday, 26 June 2013 00:00
THE sprawling city of Ìbadan, the Oyo State capital, literally stood still on Tuesday, as dignitaries from all walks of life trooped into the city to join the state governor, Senator Àbiola Àjimobi, in inaugurating three landmark projects executed by his administration.
The project included a flyover bridge constructed at the ever-busy Mokola axis of Ìbadan to ease the perennial traffic snarl that used to characterize the area. The bridge is the first to be constructed by any civilian administration in the state in the last 35 years.
Ànother project was an ultra-modern motor park at Podo with the capacity of accommodating 60 luxury buses and 311 mini buses and whose features include terminal building, shopping malls, restaurants, management office, auto services, auto car wash, public toilets and boreholes, among others.
The third project was a neighbourhood business complex at Scout Çamp, Çhallenge, Ìbadan made up of 760 open stalls, 384 lock-up shops, two blocks of warehouses, administrative building, adequate parking space and canteen among other conveniences.
The former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of Àction Çongress of Nigeria, Àsiwaju Bola Àhmed Tinubu, led the roll call of dignitaries who attended the ceremonies.
Others included the National Çhairman of ÀÇN, Çhief Bisi Àkande, Governors Ìbikunle Àmosun (Ogun), Rauf Àregbesola (Osun) and Rochas Okorocha of Ìmo State, while the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola was represented by his deputy, Mrs. Àdejoke Oorelope Àdefulire.
The Àare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Àlhaji Àbdul-Àzeez Àrisekola Àlao, the Àlaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Àdeyemi, Çhief Kola Daisi, the Çhief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Badejoko Àdeniji, the Speaker of the state House of Àssembly, Mrs. Monsurat Sunmonu were also at the occasion.
Mammoth crowd of the ordinary folks also thronged the inaugurations held in three different locations within the Ìbadan metropolis, with most of them singing and drumming to celebrate what most of them called monumental achievements unprecedented in the history of the state.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Mokola flyover bridge, Àsiwaju Tinubu commended Governor Àjimobi whom he described as an actualizer, performer and extra-ordinary leader in Oyo State, for the project which he said would impact positively in the lives of the people of the state.
He particularly commended the Àjimobi administration for making the people the cornerstone of its economic policy, saying “we all can see developments in all ramifications”.
The former Lagos State governor told the people of the state that all the projects being inaugurated, as well as those already executed and inaugurated, were just tips of the iceberg, assuring that more good things would still come.
He lampooned those who he said had had the opportunity of presiding over the affairs of the state but failed woefully, but who were now forming “an unholy alliance”, saying that their alliance would fail as the people of the state were now wiser and could read between the lines.
Governor Okorocha, in his goodwill message, commended his Oyo State counterpart for transforming the state, particularly Ìbadan where he said he built one of his schools taking care of indigent students.
Ìn his own remarks, Governor Àmosun congratulated the people of Oyo State for voting a “performer” as the governor, saying the result of their decision was the all-round transformation being witnessed in the state now.
Goodwill messages were also given by the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Àdejoke Oorelope Àdefulire and the National President of Çentral Çouncil of Ìbadan Ìndigenes (ÇÇII), Çhief Bayo Oyero among others.
Governor Àjimobi, in his address, said the bridge was a dream come true and a historical mileage in the state.
While berating the opposition whom he said embarked on a campaign of calumny since the day the construction of the bridge began, he urged them all to acknowledge excellence wherever they saw one.
“Ì remember that on Thursday, December 22, 2011, when we flagged off the construction of this fly-over bridge, we provoked the unbelief and disdain of cynics and political opposition. To them, the construction of the bridge was akin to building the biblical Towers of Babel, with its impossible tendencies.
“Even when the bridge was being constructed, we became the butt of jokes of the opposition who, either out of mischief, naivety or their well-known cynicism, mocked the absence of an erect bridge, months after its flag-off. Unknown to them, the essential components of the bridge, being mostly pre-fabricated, were undergoing construction in the company’s yard. Now that the bridge has been completed, they have shifted their mischief to the cost of the project, choosing to ignore the comprehensive features of the project which among others include the upgrading of 1.2km long service roads and intersections, beautification of roundabout and space under the flyover, construction of new water mains, street lighting and the payment of compensation to the numerous property owners whose properties in this commercial centre of the city were affected,” the governor said.
Published: Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Àjimobi to attend UK 2-day summit
The governor of Oyo State, Senator Àbiola Àjimobi, willon Fridayattend a two-day Diaspora Direct Ìnvestment Summit holding in London, United Kingdom.
Àccording to a statement issued by his Special Àdviser on Media, Dr. Festus Àdedayo, the two-day summit will endon Saturday.
The summit, organized by the Nigerian High Çommissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), will showcase the many investment opportunities in the state to UK investors.
The release said that the summit is also specifically aimed at exchanging ideas with Nigerians in the diaspora on how to improve socio-economic sectors such as agriculture, solid minerals, ÌÇT, small-scale/cottage industries, infrastructural development and others.
Some members of the SME in Oyo State will also be at this investment summit scheduled to take place at the Grand8, Northumberland Àvenue, London.
The summit is expected to be attended by the Nigerian High Çommissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, as well as entrepreneurs from Oyo, Kaduna, Kogi and Bayelsa states.
Source: The Çitizen
Story from The Nigerian Voice News:
Published: Wednesday, June 26, 2013
STÀTE BROÀDÇÀST DELÌVERED BY HÌS EXÇELLENÇY, THE GOVERNOR OF OYO STÀTE, SEN. ÀBÌOLÀÀJÌMOBÌ, ON MÀY 29, 2013.
Posted in Featured News on May 30, 2013
My dear good people of Oyo State. Ìt gives me great pleasure to once again, address you on this occasion of the second anniversary of your government. You will all recall that this is a government which, but for your resilience at the polls in Àpril, 2011 and resolve to change the unfavorable status-quo at the time, would have been humanly impossible to have in place.
2. The journey of the last two years has been eventful. Ìndeed, the road has been rough and tough. We are running a race in which we are conscious of our pedigree as administrators and our irrevocable promises to the good people of Oyo State. Ì recollect that we, on our honour, promised to make Oyo State better than we met it. We promised to make a difference in the chaotic and filthy social order that we inherited, through transparent and good governance.
3. This occasion of our second anniversary affords us the opportunity to assess the journey of the last two years, recount those strides that God, in His infinite mercy, has helped us to achieve and see where we have dashed our feet against the stone. The total projection is that, at the end of the day, we can, collectively, trudge on to a better tomorrow.
4. Right from the start, we were not in any doubt about our resolve to make a difference in the lives of our people. We sought to rewrite our position in the annals of history as a people conscious of their pacesetting heritage.
5. We looked at Oyo State, not in isolation of the global paradigm, but as a member of the community of states of the world. Ìn development economics, a hierarchy that is equivalent to the Maslow’s theory is always constructed. Ìn that hierarchy of development, peace and security are the most fundamental, followed by environmental sustainability and infrastructural renewal. This paradigm has been practiced successfully in Brazil, Ìndonesia, Çhina and other developing countries whose success stories are the world’s testimony of paradigm shift today.
6. Following this paradigm, we reckoned that peace and security are necessary conditions for development. This explains why, at inception, we committed ourselves to changing the status of our State as one afflicted by violence, thuggery and brigandage. With our adherence to the rule of law, collaboration with security agencies and the establishment of Operation Burst, we have successfully restored peace and security to our State. We are now regarded as one of the most peaceful States in Nigeria and we are resolved to let it remain so.
7. We also reckoned that a dirty Oyo State or a dirty Ìbadan – the capital of the State – which the United Nations Development Programme, some years back, ranked as one of the filthiest in Nigeria, was not acceptable to us. We reckoned that a clean and welcoming environment will invariably attract investors to our State, thereby creating employment and expanding our economy, to the benefit of our people.
8. My dear people of Oyo State, Ì am glad to report to you that in the last 24 months, we have made considerable progress towards achieving this goal. We now have a clean, friendly and welcoming environment. The benefits of these are already here for us to savour. Reputable investors, including one that is constructing the largest soya milk industry in Àfrica, another building the largest bakery in West Àfrica, yet another erecting the largest poultry that will produce the highest number of day-old chicks in Nigeria, a major food processing company, a major dairy producer and the biggest outsource agency for the telecoms industry in Nigeria, are already in Oyo State.
9.Ì must admit that these achievements were not attained without some sacrifices as it is the case all over the world. Ìn the specific instance of street trading and the attendant environmental degradation, we are already providing alternatives in the construction of severalneighborhoodbusiness complexes and markets, with healthcare services, fire-fighting systems, conveniences and community services. The markets and business complexes will accommodate thousands of traders who will now do business in clean, safe and secured environment. Our traders would also be provided with interest-free loans as they move into these markets. This initiative is the first of its kind in the annals of Oyo State.
10. Public infrastructure is a major condition for development. The roads that we inherited were deplorable, mostly narrow, pot-hole laden, limited in reach and grossly inadequate to serve the rapid economic development that we envisioned for our dear State.
11.Ì am happy to report to you that, in two years, this administration has changed the story of the Sstate of our public infrastructure. We have constructed more than 215 quality roads in all the 33 Local Government areas of the State. We have gone a notch higher by dualizing all the major entry points to major towns in the State. Thus, we have road dualization going on in Ìbadan/Ìbarapa, Ogbomoso, Oyo and Ìseyin, covering all the geo-political zones of the State. Àt the risk of sounding immodest, those who commute on these roads would testify that ours is a government of purpose and quality.
12.Ìn the area of Àgriculture and food security, we are uplifting the quality of seedlings used by farmers during planting season, with the aim of ensuring quality harvests. We have also strengthened Àgriculture by employing agricultural extension officers whose job is to go from farm to farm to educate and assist farmers on the new technology of farming for maximum returns. We have also procured 320 tractors for farmers in the State, the largest by any government ever, not only in Oyo State but in Nigeria as a whole. These initiatives are all aimed at empowering our farmers to produce bountiful harvests for the sustenance of the populace.
13.Ìt is on record that we inherited a parlous healthcare system. To ensure adequate healthcare delivery service, we have effectively provided the framework of a total overhaul of our healthcare delivery system. We have provided drugs worth over N200 million to our hospitals. We have started the rehabilitation of our General Hospitals, to a standard where sicknesses and diseases would not be a death sentence to an ailing patient. Ìn the same vein, we have provided ambulances which are located at strategiccentersin the State to rescue victims of accidents and patients in need of urgent medical attention
14. Furthermore, we have recently employed 1,000 medical personnel to improve healthcare delivery, 300 of whom are medical doctors. These are all done with a view to ensuring an efficient healthcare system for our people.
15. Ìn addition, we have treated over half a million patients through our Free Health Mission, a medium which we take health care service to the door steps of our people in the nooks and crannies of the State.
16.Ìn education, we have altered the deplorable status-quo that we inherited. We are building a strong human capital and developing the latent skills in our children. Ìn this, over 12,000 of our teachers have received training and retraining to broaden their skills. This would make them fit for the role of the 21st century teacher in a fast-changing world.
17. The welfare of our teachers is accorded dedicated attention, with prompt payment of their salaries, promotion of over 1,500 teachers in the last two years and 100 per cent review of their car and housing loans. Ìn addition, we are partnering with the University of Ìbadan in providing adequate monitoring of our schools.
18. Perhaps, more fundamental is our commitment to changing the environment wherein our students are impacted the fruits of knowledge. Àlready, we are renovating 1,600 schools and providing 67,000 pieces of furniture for them. We have also resumed the provision of science and Home Economics equipment which had hitherto been suspended several years ago. We have paid WÀEÇ fees totaling about N800 million for our students, awarded scholarship and bursary to both local and foreign-based indigenes of the state and provided computers and other ÌÇT facilities for schools for the physically challenged in the State.
19. We have upgraded the satellite campuses of the Polytechnic, Ìbadan in Saki and Eruwa into full-fledged Polytechnics, so as to open more opportunities of tertiary education to our children. The Technical University, Ìbadan which will open its gate for its first intakes this year, is the first of its kind in Nigeria.
20.Ìn the area of Youth Empowerment, we have assisted the youth in multiple of thousands. For instance, through our Youth Empowerment Scheme of Oyo (YES-O), we have employed 20,000 youths and rescued them from the unpleasant jaws of unemployment. These youths are being given trainings that will be beneficial to them, now and in the future. Many of them have also been absorbed into the civil service. Similarly, our initiative on youth job fare has assisted in placing hundreds of youths in various blue-chip companies through a job placement scheme.
21. We have also extended empowerment schemes to our women, over 50,000 of whom have been given financial support, training and capacity building, as well as supply of equipment for gainful economic activities.
22. The engine room of any government is the Çivil Service. Our administration has enjoyed the support of the Çivil Service, for which we remain appreciative. We believe that a competent Çivil Service is a necessary condition for effective and efficient administration. To date, we have exposed over 34,000 of our Çivil Servants to various training programmes. We have paid full 13th month salary for two consecutive years. We have also started providing free transport service to our workers, as well as improving the environment in which they work.
Oyo awards N100m scholarships
PUNÇH – May 22, 2013 by Àkinwale Àboluwade, Ìbadan
Oyo State Governor, Àbiola Àjimobi
| credits: File copy
Twenty-eight years after scholarships were last awarded in Oyo State, Governor Àbiola Àjimobi on Tuesday presented scholarship awards worth N100m to some indigent students of the state.
The governor said the scholarships that were presented at the House of Çhiefs, was for year 2011/2012.
The beneficiaries of the bursary/scholarship awards were final year students of universities and polytechnics and post-graduate students from tertiary institutions in Nigeria and abroad as well as those from colleges of aviation.
The governor, while presenting the cheque, described the occasion as memorable, saying it was the first time that bursary awards would be given to students in the state in the last 28 years.
He said, “Without mincing words, no nation can hope to make any meaningful progress without sound and qualitative education. Martin Luther King posited that if you want to keep a man in perpetual slavery, do not give him education.
“Ìt is with this premise in mind that the state government, under the present administration, has always made the education of our children a high priority.
“We have touched every local government area with meaningful and pupil-oriented projects.”
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Ìbadan stands still as Àjimobi, wife get chieftaincy titles
Posted in Press/News on May 20, 2013
ÌBÀDÀN, the Oyo State capital, practically stood still yesterday for Governor Àbiola Àjimobi and his wife Florence as they were
conferred with the traditional title of the Àare and Yeye Àare Àtunluse of Ìbadan land by the Olubadan of Ìbadan land, Oba Samuel Odulana (Odugade 1).
Governors, party leaders, captains of industry, royal fathers, family and friends also gathered at the palace of the Olubadan at Monatan area, Ìwo Road and the Obafemi Àwolowo Stadium (formerly Liberty Stadium) to celebrate the honourees.