The League of Imams and Alfas in Ijebu-Ode and Remolandhave declared the support for the reelection of the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun.a
Speaking of the endorsement by the Islamic clerics in the state, the Chief Imam of Ijebuland, Miftaudeen GbadegesinAyanbadejo, noted that Governor Abiodun has done very well for the state despite the challenges faced as a result of COVID 19 and other economic challenges.
According to him, Governor Abiodun would do more in the next four years.
Also speaking, Alhaji Abdul-Kadir Junaid, while noting the governor for the development the state has enjoyed in the last three and half years, commended him for looking out for the welfare of Muslim youths, the aged, artisans and widows.
On his part, the senator representing Ogun East and the Director-General of the Dapo Abiodun Campaign Council; Senator Olalekan Mustapha, who commended Governor Abiodun for embarking on the overall turnaround of infrastructures across the state, disclosed that “it is always good to be prepared for higher offices like the governor”.
In his goodwill message,the Chairman, O’odua Investment, Bimbo Ashiru, while noting that it is the people that will suffer the abandonment of projects if continuity isn’t allowed, added that the has done credibly well to get a second term in office.
Ashiru who also called on the League of Imams and Alfas to educate Muslim faithfu on the need to vote for continuity in the forthcoming coming election, added that with Abiodun as governor for another term, the people of the state would continue to be the beneficiaries of good governance.
Also, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Tele Ogunjobi, enjoined the people to vote for Abiodun, disclosing that the incumbent governor is the only governor after late BisiOnabanjo to have done more in terms of road infrastructure, a feat he noted was achieved in less than four years.
Ogunjobi who commended Abiodun for embarking on the infrastructural development of the Ogun East senatorial district and the state as a whole, acknowledged the feat he achieved with the reconstruction of some of the roads Ogun East such as Ilishan-Ago-Iwoye road, Molusi College road, Igan road, Oru-Awa-Ilaporu, Asafa-Oke and Asafa-Isale, Sagamu-Iperu roads, Agro Cargo Airport, Oba Erinwole road, amongst others.
In his response, Governor Dapo Abiodun, while commending the League of Imams and Alfas in Remoland and Ijebuland for the prayers and his endorsement for a second term, reminded them that he remained their son and that he is capable and would continue to be a capable administrator of resources of the state.
Abiodun who also noted he is a product of grace, disclosed that the grace he enjoyed on his way to victory in 2019 had taught him to move on without looking back at his detractors.
While noting that his administration in the last three and half years have constructed over 400 kilometers of roads, reconstructed over 1,000 schools and 100 primary health care centers, added that his administration has also embarked on the construction of an airport project which would make available over 25,000 jobs once completed.
He further disclosed that even though he met with stiff opposition when his administration opted to embark on the construction of an agro cargo airport which had got approvalway in 2006 and left on the drawing board by his predecessor, adding that the airport which was started in October 2021 would be the fastest constructed airport project in the country.
The governor who disclosed hat the Agro Cargo Airport project was picked as the best destination by the trio of OlabisiOnabanjo University Faculty of Transportation, the State Ministry of Transportation and the United Kingdom Embassy, noted that his administration is embarking on the construction of a truly international agro cargo airport as against the local airport hurriedly cooked by his predecessor six months to the end of his administration.
” We started the airport which began in 2006 and was still on the drawing board, we thought it through, my predecessor wanted to take the airport to Ewekoro, we placed both on ground and gave the Faculty of transportation in Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ministry of transportation, and the United Kingdom Embassy to look at the two, they later told us that the best location was the one along Iperu-Ilishan.
“They explained that the Sagamu-Benin expressway, Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the 10,000 hectares of land and the fact that no factory would disturb it were the reasons why the Iperu-Ilishan axis was the best for an airport.
“At a point in time, my predecessor wanted to turn it to an Egba-Ijebu issue, look at the objective reasons for this airport, my predecessor wanted to build an aerodrome, a local one for that matter, I have built an international airport, between 20,000 and 25,000 jobs would be created at the airport,” he said.
Abiodun who also assured the people of Ogun East and the League of Imams and Alfas that his administration is working to ensure the completion of the Olokola Deep Sea Port, added that the port would soon become operational.
“On the Olokola Deep Sea Port, do you know that I was the chairman of the board set up by government of my predecessor to look into the project, my predecessor just started a fight. I told him Dangote had paid for land, let him start the refinery and the port, he disagreed, I told him Dangote will leave, he said he won’t. Eventually, Dangote left us and took the refinery to Lekki, $16billion investment was lost and over twenty thousand jobs were lost.
“By the grace of God, God will repay us double for what we lost, we have started the process to actualize that port, we have sat down with investors, we have signed, by the grace of God, before I leave as Governor in 2027, ship will berth in Olokola,” he said.
Governor Abiodun while noting that governorship should be about competence and track records, said that “there should be requirements for anyone aspiring to become Governor, that person should have demonstrated that he has the capacity, understanding, a track record of success in the aspirants choose career before aspiring, but, anybody stands up to aspire for the office of the Governor in Nigeria, God will help us”.
Governor Abiodun further disclosed that he had approved that religious centers no longer pay for building plan approvals like business entities, an acknowledged the role of religious centers in shaping the minds of youths in the country.
” I have made it a policy that if you want to build a mosque, you apply for land and you were given charges as if you are a business person, I have said it will not happen again, we have to be given approval for religious centers that would show that they are religious centers, you will now pay a small amount.
“Because the numbers of worship centers among us help us to talk to our youths, teach them, because anyone that has belief would always have the fear of God, the person with the fear of God would love his neighbour like himself, the more the religious centers among us, the more we become better persons.
“I want to thank you for the peaceful coexistence in our state, it is exemplary, you can never hear that there is a fight between Muslims and Christians in our state, this is because you have embraced each other,” he said.
Abiodun, however, called on the League to educate their Muslim brothers and sisters to vote for him for the continued development of the state.
