By: Ade Adeleke
Ahead of October 10 governorship election in Ondo state, youths in their hundreds from the eighteen local government areas of the state at the weekend converged on Akure to throw their weight behind the re-election of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, describing him as a performer.
They declared their support at a special political gathering held at the Dome Akure and attended by the Governor.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman, Youth and Students Mobilization Committee of the Akeredolu/Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation, Mr. Akinrinsola Odunayo, who attributed the development in Lagos state over long period was due to continuity in governance, appealed to the people of Ondo state to give Akeredolu second term for rapid growth of the state.
“Four years is not enough, we need to come around to help Mr. Governor to consolidate on his current achievements in the State. Lagos State is what it is today because there’s continuity in the state.
“Akeredolu is the man to lead Ondo State to her Cannan Land for he has given us a reason. Ondo State is currently on the path of transformation and renewal. Akeredolu is building us, and he is giving us a reason to be optimistic about what the future brings.” Akinrinsola said.
Another youth, Barr Henry Adegbemile said reelection of Akeredolu would guarantee brighter future for the state and teeming youths.
Governor Akeredolu told the people that he could not afford to lie to the electorates on his achievements and the actual situation of things in the state under his administration.
He said promises by political opponents to reduce tuition fees in the state own tertiary institutions were meant to deceive the people.
Akeredolu said it would be difficult for the state to operate three state universities successfully without increment of tuition fees.
He said his focus in his second term would be job creation through entrepreneurship, skill acquisition and Agriculture.
The Ondo Governor said he already created over 20,000 direct jobs through the various industries operating at the Ore industrial hub.
Governor Akeredolu announced that an investor has paid the first instalment for the moribund OluwaGlass at Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area.
He said he planned to ensure more students took interest in studying agriculture.
According to him, “Very soon, the College of Agriculture will depend less on government funding. They want to focus on cultivating mushroom for export.
“They built universities without getting accreditation for any courses. We had a Medical School without a teaching hospital. I am building two teaching hospitals in Akure and Ondo town. We are turning Ondo State to a medical hub.
“We are earning less and doing much. There was a time we earned big but all the money went down the drain. My concern is to move ahead. We will need the best to manage the three universities.
“When I was sworn in 2017, the first executive bill I sent to the Ondo State House of Assembly was the establishment of Ondo State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA) to see to the policy of investment promotion, business development and wealth creation in our state.
“Today, through ONDIPA, Ondo has moved from number 34 to number 16 in the ease of doing business in Nigeria. By the grace of Almighty God, the Ore Industrial Park is a creation of ONDIPA under the leadership of Boye Oyewumi”, He said