In what appears more of a policy paper mixed with endorsement, a strong support came the way of the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Dapo Abiodun yesterday from the auspices of League of Ijebu/Remo Professional Network (LIRPN).
The group, consisting of business men and women and professionals from academics, media, security, maritime, real estate, oil and gas and banking sectors who are indigenes of the Nine Local Government Areas in Ijebu/Remo Area of Ogun State stated that of all the Egghead of qualified Aspirants interested in occupying the Oke Mosan Government House, Abeokuta in 2019, Prince Dapo Abiodun, an Oil Mogul, appear to share similar belief with its ideology on governance.
In a statement on Wednesday in Ijebu-Ode by its Spokesperson, Prince Lekan Sebioniga, LIRPN said the only person whom they are sure can implement their action plans and blue prints targeted towards industrialization, jobs creation and poverty alleviation in Ogun State is Dapo-Abiodun, a Prince from Iperu-Remo.
“Dapo-Abiodun came top among all the candidates that we have physically grilled and interviewed. His well-thought out blue-print which consist of modicum of executions, funding and actualization is people-driven.
“We say without being hypocritical and sounding immodest that an Ogun without Dapo-Abiodun as Governor in 2019 will be a disaster for the downtrodden and the teeming population of unemployed youths that litters the nooks and crannies of the state.” the group said.
The group who listed various private-sector driven initiatives and projects which Dapo-Abiodun can use to turn around the fortune of Ogun State, regretted that despite the billions of arable hectares of land; access to seaport and sharing of boundary with the commercial city of Lagos, the Gateway State, as Ogun is known for, has the highest poverty index rate and worst road network in South West.
“Our State, if sanctimoniously, religiously, intellectually, purposely, sincerely and intellectually governed, should be the richest in Nigeria. Aside our bitumen, granite, limestone, clay, closeness to seaport, etc, we are blessed with fertile Land which Lagos does not have; we have what it takes to be one of the 10 highest GDP in Africa but unfortunately, we have the highest poverty index rate in South West, Nigeria.
“Olokola Free Trade Zone initiatives conceived by the immediate past administration in Ogun State, if well pursued in collaboration with the government of Ondo State as designed, can create one million direct and indirect jobs for the teeming youths of our state wallowing in joblessness but sadly, it has been abandoned.
The group added “Furthermore, Nigeria, according to the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steels Development, spends N300billion per annum on importation of bitumen despite that fact that Ogun State, after Ondo State, has the largest deposit of Bitumen in Africa but left untapped.
“We are pleased to inform you again that Prince Dapo-Abiodun has given his words to engage in public-private partnership (PPP) that will see into the exploration of bitumen in Ogun State so that Nigeria Foreign exchange can improve and reduce the stress on our naira
“As a strong player in oil and gas sector, Dapo-Abiodun has, in principle, accepted our detailed proposal that will lead to the establishment of an oil refinery in Ijebu Waterside area of Ogun State in partnership with some business moguls from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.” Sebioniga said on behalf of LIRPN.
LIRPN also advised Dapo-Abiodun to embrace human-capital development through training and re-training of youths towards skills acquisition and entrepreneurship, development of tourism and renovation of all dilapidated sporting and tourism sites in the state such as MKO Abiodun Stadium, Abeokuta, Otunba Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, Gateway Stadium, Ilaro, Olumo Rock, Abeokouta, Lisabi Sacred Forest, Bilikisu Sungbo Shrine, Ebute Oni Tourist Beach, Madam Tinubu Shrine, Abeokuta Museum, Osuuru Water Spring, Centenary Hall among others so that the youths can be engaged meaningfully, create jobs and boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.
On the development of Yoruba Land, LIRPN advised Abiodun to allocate 10% of the State budget to the funding and execution of the Development Agenda of Western Nigeria (DAWN) projects in Ogun State such as Canaan Land City at Otta, Oodua Rice at Ofada etc.
The group appealed to the outgoing governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun to embrace and support Dapo-Abiodun in the overall interest of peace and development of their land.
Sebioniga cautioned the APC candidate against underestimating the power of the masses. He urged Abiodun to shun tribalism, favouritism and place the general interest of Ogun people above any sectional or primordial interest.
Prince Lekan Sebioniga.
Spokesman, League of Ijebu/Remo Professional Network –
LIRPN