By Idowu Bankole
A former Aviation minister and Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, yesterday, on a tour of Oyo state, South-West, Nigeria to inspect ongoing projects in the state describing the ongoing projects as “massive and very impressive.”
Oyo state became the next stop for the Ex-Aviation minister, after touring the Northern part of Nigeria, and the South-South region of the country.
Recall that Vanguard had reported how the Former Minister was conferred with a chieftaincy title in the Shinkafi Emirate, in Zamfara State.
Also read: Fani-Kayode remains best running mate for Atiku – Yoruba Alliance Group
Speaking exclusively to Vanguard on the tour of Oyo state by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the Special Assitant to Governor Makinde, Alhaji Azeez Akeem said Chief Fani-Kayode was impressed with the level of development in the state so far. He told Vanguard that Fani-Kayode was in the state to Inspect ongoing projects and not to commission projects.
“The former minister, Chief Femi Fani Kayode is not commissioning, its visitation and inspection of projects that are scattered all over the state, and others expanded by this administration led by Engr Seyi Makinde. His manifesto called Accelerated For Rapid Development. The administration manifestoes include Education, Healthcare, Economic Development and Security. So we have visited some newly built school in Ibadan, we have also visited new CCTV control room at security trust fund building where all the cameras were mounted in strategic places in Ibadan are being controlled These are things we have done in the area of security.
On health facilities, Makinde’s Aide told vanguard that Fani-Kayode visited some Health centres in the state and was impressed by the level of work going.
“We went to the health centre in Awe, we call it primary health centre, we also visited the Farmers academy in Awe. What the state did is to help create an enabling environment for the youth to engage in agric-preneur, we did something by asking the youths to apply and 9000 of them applied online but we selected 400 to be able to manage them properly to create opportunity in tomato growing business so they will teach them on how to grow tomato, how to manage themselves and how to be profitable with the agricultural produce.” Alhaji Azeez said.
On infrastructure development in the state, Azeez was swift to say, ” Let me shed more light on the Iwo road and landscaping.
“We are building the first of its kind bus terminal in that area, which is going to rival anyone in an advanced country.”
“We have terminal A, terminal B in Iwo road which they will connect each other. Our terminal here has the capacity of 150 buses at a time, so it’s a very massive infrastructural development. As we speak, in other to decongest people and its vehicular movement in some part, especially airport road. We are constructing new Ajia Airport road as we speak they have started the work. The tenure is supposed to be one year six month and (drive work) was done by his Excellency governor Seyi Makinde on August 5 and we believe and hope it will be completed before the duration ends. The four-terminal we are building, two in Iwo road, one in Ojoo and one in Challenge as no rival right now with the concept we put in place.”
Also read: Choose Fani-Kayode as running mate, group tells Atiku, PDP
Speaking on other areas visited by the former Aviation Minister, Chief Fani-Kayode, Alhaji Azeez said, “The food basket of the state is Oke Ogun, we produce almost all the food we eat there and unfortunately the successive government in Oyo state have abandoned the only major road that connects Oke Ogun with the state capital for years. The previous administration will tell you they awarded the repair of the road for a contractor who has abandoned the project but immediately Governor Seyi Makinde government was inaugurated, one of the first major areas he started working on was that iseyin Ibadan road and now if you go there you will see over at least 50% of completion of the job in there, on getting to the site, The Former Minister was full of praise because he could see we are on the right path to progress.”
“Then there is this 10,000 metric tonnes silo sited in Awe, the report have it that, aside funtua village in the northern part of the country, that is where you have the largest in Nigeria, the next green market you have is Located in Oyo and the best to do is to give them silo so they can have a storage facility for those green produce not to be getting infested. The first of its kind in the south-west which is even bigger than what the federal government has done is the construction of 10,000 metric tonnes silo in Awe. The former minister, Chief Femi Fani Kayode also visited the site and he saw it all, it’s an ongoing project. Oyo state is being turned to the project site and it’s marvellous to behold.”
On insecurity, Alhaji Azeez said, “Security is one of the four major programs of this administration. when we came on board, we discovered that we just have to tackle the security head-on.
“That was what made his Excellency requests for the additional mobile post in Oyo state which the inspector general has graciously approved, which I can tell you it’s already cited Oke Ogun for a strategic reason, most of the time herdsmen and farmers clashes are always in that side, so there are so many reasons why he cited the new mobile force station in Oke Ogun he gave them the necessary equipment. He is doing a lot in the arear of security as I said earlier, the city of Ibadan is having CCTV camera in strategic places and also there is what we call to light up, you know criminals always hide under the darkness. From Ibadan to everywhere you go is light up, there is connectivity between bright light, illuminated by street light and reduction in the issue of criminal activities in the recent time, so everything interconnected and they are doing the best.”
Reacting to the ongoing project, the former Aviation Minister and Chieftain of the PDP, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode told Journalist that the administration of Engr Seyi Makinde has embarked on an Impressive and massive project in the state and that was part of what attracted the visit in the first place.
According to Makinde’s Aide, Alhaji Azeez Akeem, “The first thing the former Minister said was impressive, massive and I think he was impressed with what he saw and he said he will not expect anything less because he has seen Engr Seyi Makinde as a forthright, efficient and effective leader.”
When asked if there is a second term Agenda on the cards, he said, “You can’t blame people who said Engr Seyi Makinde should go for the second term if you see something good, nobody wants to live in mystery, nobody wants to continue living in the terrible situation they found themselves before this administration. You will agree with me that everybody wants a better life for themselves. Since we came on board, he has made education free for the children of the masses, so they no longer pay any amount for their wards to be educated. He is providing over 7,000 employment opportunities for teachers in Oyo State, the health worker in Oyo state hospital management board is recruiting about 1,000 new employees to the civil service employment, then also the OYO state service commission is also employing any moment now to reduce the effect of COVID-19. So it’s a marvellous thing and it’s massive.”
