Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has said that his administration’s commitment to building infrastructure for economic expansion has seen it embark on a massive drive to connect local government areas in Oke-Ogun Zone II to Saki’s economy.
The governor stated that the Saki-Ogboro-Igboho Road, which seeks to connect Saki West, Saki East and Oorelope LGs has reached an advanced stage, while the project will also be extended to connect Agbonle in Saki East, Igbeti in Olorunsogo LG and Kisi in Irepo LG.
He added that connecting the local government areas would result in the desired economic uplift of the zone, noting that he had the idea of connecting the areas as far back as 1984, when he visited Igbeti as a young boy and noticed that the people had difficulties moving across the area due to lack of roads.
Governor Makinde stated this at the End-time Cry Bible Church, Igbeti, Oyo State, at the funeral ceremony of Madam Victoria Omolayo Oni, stepmother of Honourable Abiodun Oni, the Special Adviser to Governor Makinde on Solid Minerals Development and Chairman of the Oyo State Solid Minerals Development Agency.
He added that his administration will also fulfill its promise to build an airstrip for security surveillance and also rehabilitate and equip the Igbeti General Hospital in line with his promise during electioneering.
This was as the governor warned traditional rulers in Oke-Ogun to avoid the indiscriminate signing of licences for miners, noting that the area might have to grapple with the negative environmental impact of illegal mining in the not-too-distant future.
Governor Makinde, who lauded Madam Oni for living a good life and making impact on the society as well as himself, as he first met her when he visited Igbeti as a young boy, donated N25 million to the End-time Cry Bible Church, Igbeti, to immmortalise her.
The governor said: “All the things the Reverend said were the promises we made. We have gone through one or two of them and before the completion of my tenure, they will happen.
“One of the promises is the construction of an airstrip in Igbeti for security surveillance. I will fly into Igbeti before the end of my tenure. I have not forgotten at all, because it is already a work in progress.
“Also, the Igbeti General Hospital is part of those captured in the French programme. We have done the survey; the project should kick off very soon.
“You also talked about a road connecting Ogbomoso-Oyo axis. They have traced the road from Igbeti that links Igbeti to Ogbomoso through the Iseyin-Fapote-Ogbomoso Road. It is 102 kilometres.
“The survey has been done and, hopefully, we will start it. But by 2027, if you vote for whoever we advise you to vote for, they will complete the road project.
“I know the road is important. But there is one before it that is more important; the Saki-Ogboro-Igboho Road. We have already done the road up to somewhere after Ogbooro. When it reaches Igboho, it will take a spur to Kisi and also another spur to Igbeti as well.
“There will also be a spur to Agbonle. These roads will give the connectivity we need, which will boost the economy of this zone.
“We are already fixing the road connecting Iseyin to Saki, though it is a federal road. Once we connect Iseyin to Saki for now and Saki to Ogboro to Igboho to Igbeti, I believe we would have achieved 80 percent of the desired connectivity to lift the economy of this place.
“This is because Saki is the most solid economy around this axis and once the other local governments are connected to it, it will bring about the desired economic uplift for this area.
“I tell people that I didn’t just make the decision to fix these roads. It was an idea that I have nursed since 1984 as a young boy and I am happy that I can bring the idea to reality.”
Earlier, Hon Oni, who read the biography of the deceased, eulogised her as a woman of virtue, who loved family and served God.
In his sermon entitled “Are you on the right path?,” Revd W.A. Oderinde noted that Jesus Christ remains the way, the truth and the life and He is the right path that every man must take to reach heaven.
He added that human beings have just a few years to spend on earth, no matter how long, so, they must live each day as if the end will come today
According to the Man of God, Mama Oni realised that life was transient and she lived well and made impact on humanity, calling on others to also prepare for eternity.
A special prayer was offered for the children and family of the late Madam Oni.
The event was attended by the wife of Oyo State Governor, Engr. (Mrs) Tamunominini Makinde; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; Senior Executive Assistant to the Governor on General Duties, Chief Bayo Lawal; member of the Oyo State Elders’ Council, Chief Jacob Adetoro; Special Adviser on Training and Establishment, Alhaji Siju Lawal; and Special Adviser on Budget, Hon. Simeon Oyeleke.
Others were Chief Tunde Tijani; former Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Olayemi Busari; Chairman, Water Corporation of Oyo State, Hon. Elias Adeojo; Special Assistant to the Governor on Irepo/Olorunsogo/Oorelope Federal Constituency, Alhaji Yusuff Sarafadeen Alani (Alwajud); Special Assistant to the Governor on Print Media, Moses Alao; Irepo Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Tunde Olayiwola; Oorelope Local Government Chairman, Hon. Jacob Ogundiran and his Olorunsogo Local Government counterpart, Hon. Kazeem Oorelope.
Also in attendance were the Onigbeti of Igbeti, Oba (Engr.) Bashir Olalekan Abioye and some of his chiefs; the Alepata of Igboholand, Oba (Dr) Joel Olawuwo; the representative of the Iba of Kisi, Oba Mashood Aweda; as well as political leaders from the 10 local government areas of Oke Ogun and across Oyo State.
