Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared that his administration would continue to work on linking all the zones of the state in order to ensure the continuous and sustained expansion of the state’s economy.
The governor, who stated this while receiving the participants of the Strategic Management and Policy Studies, Course 5/22, Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja, disclosed that security agencies have been working together with the state government to make the state safe.
The study group, led by Major-General K.I Mukhtar, paid a courtesy call on Governor Makinde at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
While addressing the course participants, the governor asserted that his administration has achieved remarkable success on its four-point service agenda, designed to drive the economy of Oyo State, which are education, health, expansion of the economy through agribusiness and security.
He stated that his administration has assembled a formidable security team which he said works together to keep the state safe and secure, noting that his administration has recorded significant progress in the four major pillars.
Makinde said: “Regarding our zones, we want them to be carried along strategically, and the only way to do that is for us to link the zones together. When they are linked with infrastructure economically, then we remain linked as well.
“We have successfully linked Ibadan, which is the main consumption centre for us, to Oke-Ogun and other zones. We are also linking Oyo to Oke-Ogun zone and it is almost done. We have also created a new road between Ogbomoso and Oke Ogun Zone and we have linked Oke Ogun to Ibarapa. Strategically, our economy in the state is linked,” he disclosed.
The governor explained that health care delivery is also part of what his administration is working on, asserting that although COVID-19 pandemic hit the whole world eight months into his administration, it was well managed without locking down the state.
Makinde further said participants of the Management and Strategic Policy Studies could get a lot of insights from his government, if they ask the right questions, as the people that worked hard to support and put the right foot forward for his administration were right there in the room.
He noted: “Please, ask them the right questions and they will enrich this programme. I have said this because, at some points, what we did to manage the COVID-19 pandemic was what they adopted at the Federal level.
“Once again, I want to welcome you and wish the participants an enjoyable time in Ibadan. I want to assure you that whatever we can do to ensure this is not a hardship visit to Oyo State, we will do it,” Governor Makinde concluded.
Earlier, the leader of the team, Major-General Mukhtar, appreciated Governor Makinde for the warm welcome the participants received from him and the members of his cabinet.
