Ondo State governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Engr Ifeoluwa Oyedele, has promised to fix the infrastructural decay in the educational , health sectors and economic reverses suffered by the state over the years.
Speaking to reporters after submitting his expression of interest and nomination forms at the party secretariat in Abuja yesterday, he singled out the power sector as an area that would preoccupy his attention if voted into power.
Oyedele who was one of the founding fathers of the party also promised to establish cottage industries across the state if he emerges the Governor of the state.
He said as a fellow of many professional bodies, member of university council, President of the University of Lagos Alumni, coupled with his vast experience in both the private and public sector, mone of his rivals are better placed to administer the state then himself.
Said he: “I am not happy that since the demise of Chief Ajasin, Ondo state does not have industrial revolution as we anticipated. And it is because of lack of vision by those who are at the helms of affairs. We are going to start from an area where every citizen of Ondo state can participate.
“How did we grow the economy of the old Ondo, is from palm oil. Today Ondo is not even the first in the production of palm oil, rubber, cocoa. That’s where we need to key in and restore Ondo back and build small cottage industries.
“It is going to start from the fact that Ondo state is going to be a state in Nigeria to have 2/4/7 power as soon as I become the governor because of my experience in this sector I have written books and everybody has acknowledged my competence in that area.
” So we’re not only going to start with giant companies. No.We are going to have little cottage industries concentrating on things that are indigent in all of these areas that serve as sources of our industrial revolution.
“You also talked about mineral resources. I know the laws of Nigeria puts the mining of some of these mineral resources like Bitumen in the hands of the federal government. But when you have good relationship with the power brokers and those who are in charge at the federal level life becomes very easy for you.
” If your wife delivers a pre-mature babies in those areas they will advise you to take him to Ondo, Owo or may be Akure. At the same time in most of secondary schools in Ondo state we don’t have teachers. What do we have? We have teachers employed by PTA.
“We will engage those retired but not tired teachers to teach our children. Those who write NECO, WAEC, JAMB, I am not Ondo is number one, number 10. Why is it so? We are going to start what we call shared facilities. We are going to start by grouping secondary schools together in areas.
” We can make sure they move around and share facilities (laboratories). And we bring back all of the retired teachers to help us teach in those schools by earning allowances that will be in addition to their pensions which we will ensure are regularly paid.
“I’m not a governor who wants to build another house, send my children to schools. I’m the governor who wants to spend the rest of my life to ensure that not citizen of Ondo state is denied an opportunity to attain the level that I have attained.
Continuing, he noted: “Ondo state needs a governor who is competent. Today we are not doing very well. In terms of infrastructure, healthcare delivery, education. You will recall that Ondo state used to be in the forefront of all of these human indices but I can assure you that as governor of Ondo state, I will take Ondo state back to the zenith of economic and human leadership.
“Why? Because Ondo state has abundant human resources. I think you all know that, we are perhaps one of the best educated states in Nigeria and there are several opportunities. It is therefore very important that we elect a man who has vision that can take the state back to the top… We are sure that victory is ours.”
