Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has said his administration would, within the next six to eight weeks, launch a task force to implement the ban on open grazing in the state, while declaring open grazing illegal in the state.
Makinde spoke, on Wednesday, in Ogbomoso, during a Town Hall meeting as part of activities to commemorate the second anniversary of his government.
Speaking at the meeting, which held at the Soun Ogunlola Hall, Oja-Igbo, Ogbomoso, the Governor said the government would continually engage the people of the state in the budget process.
He explained that a government team would embark on consultations with the communities and collate data for the next budget on the open grazing.
He also gave assurance to the people that his government would soon create an alternative road to the Ibadan/Oyo/Ogbomoso Expressway, a federal road, which he said has been under construction for too long.
Makinde noted that the state government would construct the Iseyin/Ogbomoso road to link the Ibadan/Iseyin road already constructed and ensure that travellers to Ogbomoso bypass the traffic snare on the federal road.
He said: “In Oyo State, open grazing is against the law. The implementation plan will come out within the next six to eight weeks. So, whoever goes against the law in this state will face the wrath of the law and that is just it.”
“And concerning all the requests on road construction, we will plan ahead. Some of these projects will be included in the budget that we are going to come up with next year because we have to work with the fund in the government coffers,” Makinde stated.
He enjoined the people to engage with the team set up on budget, which would be going round very soon and make sure that some of the roads are mentioned to them, promising that his administration would do all it could to ensure the right things are done.
The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatubosun, disclosed that the Town Hall meeting was held to gauge the feelings of the people of Oyo State on the performance of the administration and also see what other areas it would need to address.
Lateefah Ibrahim
