The Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) on Tuesday appealed for an increase in its allocation from the state’s 13 per cent oil derivation fund, arguing that the current 40 per cent is insufficient to tackle the developmental challenges facing the impoverished oil-rich riverine communities in the state.
While revealing that the 40 per cent allocation has been static since the commission’s establishment in 2004, OSOPADEC Chairman Biyi Poroye stressed that the allocation no longer reflects the economic realities and high costs of delivering infrastructure in the coastal communities’ terrain.
The OSOPADEC chairman disclosed this during the official flag-off ceremony of the Commission’s 2023/2024 bursary and scholarship scheme in Akure, where a total of N286.7 million was distributed to 4,837 indigenes from the mandate areas.
He said, “If the government gives us 55 per cent, the people of the mandate areas will be happy, and we can assure them that OSOPADEC will do better. It is sad that despite the difficult terrain of our oil-producing areas, Ondo still receives only 40 per cent. If you spend N100 million on a road in the upland, you will spend double, if not more, in the riverine.”
Poroye, who disclosed that the commission had saved costs by settling litigations out of court and channelling the funds into development projects, revealed that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had approved a N33.8 billion budget for OSOPADEC, the highest in its history.
While flagging off the 2023/2024 scholarship and bursary scheme, Poroye reiterated the state government’s commitment to education and youth empowerment, saying the initiative reflects the present administration’s people-oriented governance.
According to him, more than 5,000 students benefited from the scheme in 2024, ensuring that the 2024/2025 bursary cycle would be implemented without delay.
He said that, beyond bursaries, the commission has renovated classrooms, rebuilt schools, trained teachers, and provided textbooks and furniture. He also disclosed his personal scholarship commitment to an indigent student of the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa.
He, however, listed new partnerships with both local and international organisations, including the Japanese Consulate, Setraco Nigeria Limited, Tage Engineering Resources Limited, Paul-B Nigeria Plc, and WhiteCloud TVET Academy.
On her part, the Ondo State First Lady, Mrs. Esther Aiyedatiwa, commended the initiative as a reflection of the administration’s “people-first” philosophy, noting that education remains the bedrock of sustainable development.
“This programme embodies our collective resolve to build a brighter future for our children and youth and to ensure that no child is left behind in the pursuit of quality education,” she said.
She highlighted the administration’s achievements in school renovation, teachers’ recruitment and training, healthcare delivery, road construction, youth and women empowerment initiatives, and security through the repositioning of the Amotekun Corps.
