527 total views, 2 views today
Last weekend, Infolitenews team was in Ilaro, Yewa South of Ogun State during the induction ceremony of new members of Recreation Club, Ilaro and we spoke with a prominent member and politician, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Hon Olaolu Olabimtan.
Your name sir?
My name Olaolu Olabimtan and I’m the Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Planning .
How do you feel been a member of the Recreation Club, Ilaro and today’s event?
First and foremost,I am a proud member of the Recreation Club Ilaro.
Today what were doing here is the induction of new members as well as giving honor to members of the club that have just been giving chieftaincy awards by the Paramount ruler, Olu of Ilaro , Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, as well as the Onidogo of Idogoland, His Royal Majesty ,Oba Saheed Olubiyi.
It may interest you to know that 14 members of this club have been given different Chieftaincy titles by the Paramount ruler, Olu of Ilaro , that just tells you the standing of the club in this society. So I am very proud to be part of this club . Every year we get new members who are always inducted , so I will encourage you this is a club to be in Yewa land and in Ilaro.
As a member of APC and an Honorable Commissioner, a representative of the government, what will you say about infrastructural deficit in Yewa land?
Talking to you as a member of APC and as a member of the Government of the Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun, and I will talk specifically about the projects,the infrastructural project that this government have embarked upon.
let me state that this government has done between fresh construction , reabilitation and reconstruction.
I want to use this opportunity to say boldly to the people of Ogun State, that this is the first time we have even development, in all local government. What this government has done is to be fair and equitable to the people.
You will find projects in Ogun East, Ogun West, Ogun Central . I can boldly tell you that there is no local government that you will not find one project or the other.
I want to use this opportunity to say to the people of Ogun state, that what is best for us is to allow this government to have a second term in office. This is the first time we are having even Development .
We have never said we will do all, but we will never leave the state the way we met it, and we are progressing.
What my governor keep saying is that, we are not going to do everything, but we are going to leave he state unrecognizable with development, if given the opportunity for a second term in office, because of the quantum leap in infrastructural projects.
What’s your message for the inductees for today’s event?
My message for the inductees is to just join us in this good works and make regular tries. You know this is a fresh new generation. When this club started I was a very young boy,I was in primary school, and my father was one of the first set of members in this club.
Today am over 50 and I will never leave this club we should just make sure that we keep the flag flying.
As they joined us, we expect to see a change for the better.
I mean they should come up with fresh ideas to tell us where we are going wrong and to tell us how to do it better and together we will indeed reach greater heights.
Sir, as a Commissioner for Budget and Planning of the state, will you like to mention some of the state project in Yewa land that you think will convince the people to vote for APC?
I will tell you very easily. The Ilaro Owode Road. That road has been abandoned,there was even an administration that decided to come and break down houses here and yet they didn’t do that road, and it is a major link between Owode, Ilaro and ipokia local government.
It is also a link road Between Ilaro and the Republic of Benin. It is such a strategic road.
Anytime Senior Military Officials visit the governor ,you will be surprised when they ask for infrastructure, they ask for Ilaro Owode Road . When the senior people in Custom visit the governor what they normally ask for is the Ilaro Owode Road. That should tell you the significance of that road .
It will also interest you that so many schools have been renovated including the state hospital Ilaro at the beginning of this administration.
Now let me also shock you and you can ask, you can check this out, the talk in the health sector is that if FMC cannot take a patient, take them to State Hospital Ilaro. That tells you something. Believe me, there’s a cause for us in Yewa South to say thank you, we’ve had eight years that we were neglected .Governor Dapo Abiodun promised that we will not regret supporting him, and believe me we do not regret and we are going to give him our votes again, in the coming election.
Lastly sir, some people from this part of the state were not comfortable with the time of construction of the Owode Ilaro road that is coming so late, what’s your take?
To be frank with you, it’s better late than never. There is something you’ve got to understand , the issues of infrastructural deficit, if we take the entire budget of these state and put it only on roads, we cannot do all the roads. Note my words, all the roads. So what do you do ? You prioritize and you pick them In order of importance.
Let me also tell you, we met a contractor on that road an indiginieous contractor employed by the last administration. As a responsible government , His Excellency decided not to cancel his contract , but to give him the chance to get that work done.
It was only revoked when he pushed us to the wall, and we realize we will not be able to fulfill our promises . If we retain that indegineous contractor, and let’s face it if we’re talking about individual prosperity and that was why we were very reluctant to revoke, but when it became apparent that he was going to force us not to keep our promise, we have to jettison him.
As Mr Governor has promised, before the end of this year that road will be commissioned. By the time it is commissioned, the people will forget that it’s coming late.