Oyo state Governor Declares Support for Southwest Business Conglomerate
Olubunmi Osoteku, Ibadan
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has expressed his administration’s readiness to support the Oodu’a Investment Company Limited (OICL), a business conglomerate owned by the Nigerian Southwest states, to succeed in its mandate and plan to expand the business environment of the region and the economy of the member states.
The governor, who received the management team of the company led by its chairman, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru in Ibadan, declared that Nigeria must diversify its economy by moving away from petroleum to agro-exports and agro-processing, in order to shore up its currency.
Makinde asserted that what the company had been doing was central to his government’s vision to create wealth in the state and move the people from poverty to prosperity.
He commended the Oodu’a team for what it had done with the landmark heritage of the Yoruba speaking states, even as he charged them to remain focused on the business.
The governor stated that though the vision for the company was from the founding fathers of the Southwest states, the environment had changed considerably, which made the governments of Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and Lagos states to face the core mandate of governance.
He said even thought each of the governors was asked to nominate people to be involved, the expectation was that the management would run the business and take decisions without fear or favour, so as to move the conglomerate forward.
“If we truly want you to perform and get the results, we must give you the free hand to take your decisions and move the conglomerate forward. I believe my colleagues are doing the same thing because that is the right thing to do. Also, forget that currently I am the only PDP Governor among them, we are all aligned to the legacies that we met. So, I will say keep it up and stay really focused and imagine the business as business,” Makinde noted.
Governor Makinde pledged that his government would be available to offer every necessary support to the conglomerate with regards to some of the ventures they are embarking on, including the Premier Hotel and SWAgCO Limited, an independent subsidiary of Oodu’a, with interest in agricultural investment.
“Please, know that we are here to give the necessary support and having an advantage within the SAPz is not a big problem at all and also remember that the Dry-port will happen. There is a rail link already. So, that is a major piece of infrastructure. It exists at this moment and the rest of the things we have to do is just a matter of time. They will happen and the SAPz is right next to it,” he promised.
Earlier, the chairman of the OICL, Otunba Ashiru, said the Management Team had been working hard to bring back the glory of the conglomerate.
He recalled how the late Obafemi Awolowo and other south western leaders started the Oodu’a Conglomerate, they had vision and mission and it was a one-stop shop in Nigeria which had everything ranging from real estate to investment, hospitality and others.
Ashiru stated: “Today, I am happy to tell Your Excellency that we have started on a good note. You gave us the mandate to make the Oodu’a the number one company and economic hub of the Southest and we will achieve that by the grace of God.”
The Chairman disclosed that the Conglomerate was about expanding Premier Hotel after signing an MOU with an international brand that would manage the hotel.
The OICL team included the Group Managing Director, Mr Adewale Raji; the Director, Mr Seni Adio, SAN; Otunba Debola Osibogun, as well as well as the Group Executive Director, Mr Olugbolahan Mark-George.
