Osun governor-elect to prioritize grassroots empowerment

The Osun State governor-elect, Mr. Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola, has promised to prioritize socio-economic empowerment of people at the grassroots.

Oyetola, a candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the governorship election of 22 and the supplementary election of 27 September 2018, polled a total of 255,505 to defeat Ademola Adeleke of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 255,023 votes.

In an interview on a private television live broadcast, Oyetola explained that his administration would sustain agricultural rejuvenation programmes of the current administration which he said seeks to discourage rural-urban migration.

According to the governor-elect, the state now enjoys certain infrastructural facilities upon which the incoming government could leverage for further improvement in agricultural programmes.

He expressed gratitude for the supports of voters across the state, noting his administration would focus on the economic empowerment of the masses, especially small level marketers who he said would be provided with little cash supports for their businesses.

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Oyetola, who clarified it was possible to grow the state’s internally generated revenue without increasing taxes, added his administration would go into public-private partnership arrangement with interested investors in the areas of agro-allied industry and mineral exploration, as such always involve huge capital outlay.

Adding that agriculture and tourism were two areas which was being under explored by the state, Oyetola noted the two areas could yield huge incomes for the state, which he noted could support the state in monthly settlement of salaries and allowances.

He expressed worries regarding the problem of rural-urban drift which he maintained could be resolved by improving rural infrastructure, saying his administration would commit significant attention to the care and welfare of women and children.

The governor-elect equally clarified his administration would convene an economic summit to discuss and possibly arrive at a workable template upon which to anchor and drive the state’s economy, saying available  infrastructure in the state was enough encouragement for willing investors.

The governor-elect pledged to run inclusive governance, based on the values of transparency, probity and accountability, and genuine concern for the masses.