Gov Abiodun and other dignitaries at the occasion
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has declared that his administration consistently focused on the speedy development of Ogun West Senatorial District due to age-long neglect of the zone by previous administrations.
Abiodun, who spoke at this year’s grand finale of Oronna Day Celebration held at Ilaro, in Yewa South Local Government, noted that despite the zone being the largest non oil revenue earner and the food basket of the State, it was not given the needed attention.
He said: “When I assumed office and for some reasons, most of my predecessors did not accord this zone the place and attention it deserved. Kabiyesi called me and said ‘before you, all that happened here is that they will do some ground breaking but they never commissioned any project in this local government or in this zone’ and I told kabiyesi that the narrative will change.
“We will do ground breaking and we will also commission projects. I beat my chest and proudly say that we have done just that. The very important arterial road that connects the local government area to Ado/Odo-Ota Local Government Area and other five local government areas that is the Ilaro-Owode road, we totally reconstructed it and the journey that take probably two and a half hours now take few minutes. We have commissioned at least one road in each local government in this zone and some even have more.”
Governor Abiodun identified the importance of the zone to the state as it is home to the Agbara industrial estate with about 500 industries just as the largest deposit of limestone and the largest cement factory is located in the zone.
He said his administration has completed the construction of one lane of the Atan-Lusada-Agbara dual carriageway, adding that efforts are on to complete the second lane.
The governor, while commending the indigenes for their contributions to the development of the town, particularly praised the Olu of Ilaro for his passion for the uplifting of Yewaland and Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola for his developmental projects which have made life easier for the people.
While assuring of government’s commitment, Governor Abiodun called on the people to partner and collaborate in development activities as government would not do it alone.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin in his speech, appreciated the state government’s efforts at galvanizing the people for community development.
He said the celebration, apart from serving as a cultural awakening and survival, could be used as developmental tools and source of foreign exchange earning.
He commended the Olu of Ilaro and his people for the vision to use the celebration to improve education, infrastructure and the health of the people, saying it tallies with the vision of the National Assembly and that of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Chairman of the occasion and the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, represented by Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, said the occasion is the celebration of the people’s heritage that would not only engender development, but communality.
The Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, in his remarks, appreciated Governor Abiodun for keeping to his promise to extend developmental projects to all sections of the State, appealing to him to work towards commissioning the housing estate sited in the town.
