Group seeks industrial growth, diversification of Ondo’s economy

ONDO State indigenes, under the aegis of Ondo State Public Sphere (OSPS) have urged the state government and stakeholders to review the state’s economic profile with a view to diversifying and promoting industrial growth.

At a summit convened by the Chairman, Organising Committee of OSPS, Prof. Olu Aboluwoye, he noted that the theme: “Diversified Economy and Sustaining Industrial Development of Ondo State, was driven towards making the state self-sufficient.

According to him, Ondo State is estimated to be about 3.4 million population, when compared with countries like Botswana, Sao Tome and Haiti; therefore stressing the need for indigenes of the state, especially those who have made impacts in their respective disciplines to invest in the state.

“We are intellectually strong. We are referring to Ajasin, we are referring to Awolowo, that is another set of generation of leadership. Should our state continue like this? Should we continue to tell the same story that in the 1960s it was good, why don’t we have great testimonies of our present day?” he queried.

Aboluwoye lamented that the state produced the palm oil seed, which has become the source of fortune for Malaysia while the Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc at Okitipupa, Oluwa Glass Company, Igbokoda, Ifon Ceramic Company, Nirowi Wood Plc in Ondo and several many more are moribund.

The Chairman of the summit that was held at Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), High Chief Agbo Akintan, during his address, said “there is no other more auspicious time to gather to discuss the need for the diversification of the economy of Ondo State in the quest for sustainable industrial development than this moment.”

According to Akintan, “It is regrettable today that all the industries established by the Ondo State government during the regime of our late sage, the cerebral Pa. Michael AdekunleAjasin have all folded up.”

He emphasized that “the collection of brilliant egg heads here gathered is a clear affirmation that Ondo State is indeed stupendously blessed with human resources in an inexhaustible proportion,” and urged them to avail the available natural resources to bring unquantifiable development to the state.

“We should all join forces to use them as instrument to midwife a policy direction for the government and they should be processed for implementation in a manner that they will serve as Act of Covenant between government and people of Ondo State,” Akintan said.