Why I Will Continue To Give Rural Communities Attention — Oyetola

Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has said that his administration would continue to give priority to the development of the rural communities for social and economic reasons.

Oyetola, who noted that the rural dwellers have equal rights to basic amenities as people in the urban areas, said his administration was committed to sustainable economic development at the grassroots to discourage rural-urban migration.

The governor made the remarks during an engagement programme organised by the State’s Civic Engagement Programme on Thursday in Isinmi Olootu, Ifedayo Area Council.

Oyetola, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Civic Engagement, Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, said his administration has been engaging all social strata and the stakeholders in all rural communities to find a way of improving amenities available to them and also to improve their living standards.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that strategic community engagement is a precondition for every development effort, as it gives people active participation in the development engineering.

“Our administration will not relent in putting smiles on the faces of our people at the rural communities because they form part of our key factors to the success of our administration.

“As we focus on the development of the urban areas, we will not relent in developing the rural areas as well.

“Our administration is aware of the fact that sustainable development is the one that emanates from the depth of grassroots and will not relent in doing that,” he said.

In his remarks, Adeyinka Adesina, Baale of Oyi Elemogun, commended the governor for his commitment to the development of the state in the area of education, health, infrastructure, agriculture, mining and other social amenities.

Adesina, who said that the visit was the first time a Governor’s representative would embark on “one on one” engagement in the area asking for their various need, since the creation of Osun, as a borders town to Kwara state far away from the state capital, it always affects the presence of government in the area, however, he, appealed to the governor to provide them with more rural road, electricity, borehole and other social amenities.

Also speaking at the program, the Chairman of the Area Council, Hon Azeez Olarewaju, Hon Funnmilayo Olaseinde, Hon Hon Kunle Ayantoye eulogized the governor for his commitment to human development and capacity building by empowering nothing less than 18,000 youths through various schemes, as well as execution of several social intervention programs for the socially vulnerable. Salaries and pensions are fully paid as at when due.

Further appreciated the governor for his laudable performance, while he commended him for his ingenuity in reaching out to the grassroots and urged the people not to relent in giving their maximum supports to his administration.