Governor Seyi Makinde’s Remarks at the Flag-off of the Dualisation of the 8.3 km Akobo-Ojurin/Odogbo Barracks Olorunda Abaa Junction Road

Being the Remarks by His Excellency, Seyi Makinde, the Executive Governor of Oyo State at the Flag-off the Dualisation of the 8.3 km Akobo-Ojurin/Odogbo Barracks Olorunda Abaa Junction Road on Friday, June 09, 2023.

Èyin tèmi ní Ọlọ́rundá Abáá, ẹ̀yin dà, mo kíi yín ooo. Ẹ mọ̀ pé wọ́n ní tí alángbá bá jábọ́ láti ara ògiri tàbí láti orí igi, tí kò bá rí ẹni tí á kíi, òun náà á kí ara è, á mi orí. Bẹ́ẹ̀ni àbí bẹ́ẹ̀kọ? A kò ní jẹ́kí ẹ kí ara yín, mo kíi yín ẹ kú àfaradà. Ìtura ti dé.

We are here today for the flag off of the dualisation of the 8.3 km Akobo-Ojurin/Odogbo Barracks Olorunda Abaa Junction Road. This road is vital to the people of Lagelu Local Government Area as it connects Akobo to Olorunda Abaa and will bring development to this axis.

I promised while on the campaign trail that this road would be awarded before the end of Omituntun 1.0. A few days to the end of that tenure, some people were already going around saying Seyi Makinde is “promise and fail”. But we kept our promise and awarded the contract, and today, we are keeping our promise by flagging off the construction. You can see that the work has already started, the equipment is here, and the contractor has promised that it will be completed in twelve months.

As I said earlier, the situation on this road has caused our people hardship and I again thank the people for their endurance. We know it has not been easy, but in a situation where you have limited resources, you must follow a strategy that ensures that while you are carrying out projects, if possible, you are able to raise revenue from those projects to enable you to carry out even more projects.

And so, now that we have done or are in the process of completing most of the major road linkages across the state, we will pay even more attention to the inner roads and assist the Local Government Councils to carry out their responsibilities. As I have always said, the Local Government Councils do not have enough funds to meet their obligations to pay salaries and still carry out projects, but under Omituntun 2.0, we will work even harder to support them to do more.

We all should also remember that we have a responsibility to pay our taxes and levies because this is the main way that government will get money to meet its obligations. So, please pay your taxes on time and pay to the right accounts so that the money comes to the government and not any individual’s pocket.

We know things are getting harder. The subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) has been removed, and this makes transportation costs increase further. I have already set up a committee to look into what we can do about increasing civil servants’ salaries. But I know that everyone in Oyo State is not a civil servant. So, we have decided to deploy more Omituntun Buses to ease off the transportation worries. I have also directed that there should be no increase in the fare paid on these buses. Furthermore, school children and our senior citizens will board these buses at half price. We will continue to look into other ways of easing the burdens you bear.

Let me also use this opportunity to update you on the Light-up Oyo project. We know his project is one of the ways that we are ensuring economic security for our people. Because there are lights on, our people are able to stay out longer and carry out economic activities. As promised, we carried out the audit, and we have reached an alignment with the contractors. So, I assure you that in the next three weeks, all the lights will be back on, and then we will continue to expand the project.

While we were campaigning, it was as if we were speaking in theory that Omituntun 2.0 will be better than Omituntun 1.0. Now, you are seeing it in practical terms. We started strong, and by the grace of God, we will finish strong.

I will also use this opportunity to rename the dualised road that stretches all the way from Idi Ape to Olorunda Abaa to the Governor Nyesom Wike Road.

We shall now proceed to flag off the dualisation of Akobo-Ojurin/Odogbo Barracks Olorunda Abaa Junction Road to the glory of God and for the benefit of the good people of Oyo State.

Thank you and God bless you.