ORA: Stakeholders Want Osun To Revive Economy With Investment In Agriculture

Major stakeholders in the affairs of Osun state have demanded massive investment in agriculture to revitalize its economy.

Funmiso babarinde, Convener, Osun Reset Agenda (ORA)

Rising from a day summit, organised by a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Osun Reset Agenda (ORA), representatives of market women, labour unions, students group, religious organisations and political parties, after presenting position papers, resolved that the only way out of the economic quagmire Osun is presently in, is to solidify the state’s economic base with large scale farming.

After several hours of deliberations during the event held at Atlantis Civic Center, Ring Road, Osogbo, a communique signed by the convener of the summit, Funmiso Babarinde, containing resolutions arrived at by the participants reads;

“Every participant agreed that agriculture and agro-based entrepreneurship is the way to go for a State like Osun to develop within its true capacity and to attract investors, local and foreign.

“Our education system and policies need to be critically reviewed to guarantee quality education delivery and for the State to move up in global and National education ratings while producing students who are globally competitive academically.

“Our Labour unions need to be engaged in a bid to reinvigorate the Civil Service and make it better optimized to deliver service. Salaries, wages, pension and other welfare packages need to be promptly paid by government to motivate the workforce.

“The security architecture of the State need to be reinforced to guard against the incursion of killer herdsmen and other criminal elements into the State.

“Development must begin to go at the pace of the people for whom development is intended. 

“Government must build capacity in people first, so that they are capable of understanding and supporting developmental policies that are probably above their levels of civilization or even understanding.

“Above all, politicians and policy makers need to secure the buy-in of the masses in every policy formulation and development drive. Once the masses are left behind, development cannot be all-encompassing and cannot be said to truly be serving the desires of the people.

“All the speakers and panelists agreed that our society can only develop if the people for whom development is intended are allowed to suggest the kind of development that they desire.

“Osun Reset Agenda team was applauded by all participants for organizing the programme and the next programme of sensitization on ‘vote not violence’ coming up in August was collectively endorsed.”