"I will Take Ondo State Back To The Zenith of Economic, Human Leadership" Says Oyedele

From Aviashima Toom, Abuja

A governorship aspirants under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele has promised to return Ondo state human leadership ans economic status back to the top if elected into office.

Oyedele stated this on friday after submitting his expression of interest and nomination form at the All Progressive Comgress APC, National Secretariate in Abuja.

he said the state needs a governor who is competent and ready to effectively drive the state to a greater hight.

"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.

On competence and the darkness been experiance by his people, Oyedele explained that "even in sports you will find so many people contending for a particular position but the best candidate is the one must suited to have that position.

"And Nigeria has gotten to a stage where we need to focus on competence and what we call, I don't want to be rude to my compatriots even those who are contending with me know that they have somebody who is very competent and who can not be classified as second in any of positions.

"Now you talked about darkness in Ondo state and I am happy that you asked that question because even before I came into the power sector I had make efforts to ensure that power is restored to Ondo state.

" I think I was one of those who started to write petitions to the government. It was as a result of one of my letters to the then President, Muhammadu Buhari before I was appointed in August 2016. And I remember that when the then Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbjao led the APC team to campaign, one of the things I told him was that the Southern senatorial district will only vote for a candidate who promises to restore power to the place. And after all of the efforts and going at my own expense with the governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, his deputy Ajayi visited, we moved around I took him to the Head of Service we agreed that we are going to intervene as Niger Delta Power Holding Company in Ondo state. I have done everything possible, I have reticulated virtually all of the network in the place starting from repairing the 230 megawatts substation in Ondo from which supply came to Ore and then moved to... We have built new 33kv, 11kv stations, including in the university. 

"To restore power in Ondo state though it is the responsibility of the DisCo I can assure you that the networks are ready to receive power and once that substation in Odeirije is commissioned light will be restored. 

On Speculation that Tinubu has endorsed the incubent governor, the Governorship aspirant said "I'm sure that all of you know President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu very well. Look, there are so many rumours and is always expected that when this kind of contest takes place people will try to take advantage of the press and they will spread rumours. You just saw the primary election in Edo state, the way it went and you saw those who are spreading rumours that they're the President's candidate.

" I'm very confident that the President has not anointed anybody. In fact, if the President wants to anoint anybody I am sure that I will be the first on the list that the President will anoint. Because the President is the man who values competence... and I have no fear that if the President wants to anoint anybody it will be Oyodele (me).

On SMEs to stimulate economic growth, his plans and link to grassroots.

"I'm one of those who took APC to Ondo state with the support of the present president. My relationship the people of Ondo state know that I am a grassroots man. I mingle well with the people at the grassroot. Come to my house, you will not see big people around me. From the days of my little beginnings, my friends are those who are at rung of radar. The reason why I'm going into governance is to raise these men so that they can be at the level that I am.

You talked about SMEs - 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. When you talk of the competence of my co-aspirants none of them have reached this level (fellow of many professional bodies, member of university council, President of Alumni as big as Unilag). 

"These are experiences you cant buy in the market (I have been in different sectors). Security is a challenge in Ondo state and I know some of you who reads my manifesto, we have identified and spelt out how we are going to deal with the security situation in Ondo. I hope that the state police law will be enacted by the time I am governor but even at that by cooperating with the existing security agencies, I remember telling the IGP that when I become governor he will find it difficult to stop policemen and officers from asking for preferential posting to Ondo state because we will assist the police. We will ensure that in injury or death of a policeman his family will be adequately catered for. We will provide them with shoes, bullet proof vests, communication, ensure they are mobile, police officers manning a critical position will be fed at least once day. So they will not be in a hurry to go home and afraid to discharge their responsibilities. I can assure you that we have the formula of making Ondo state great again".