African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, has assured the people of Ibarapaland that he will give a kiss of life to the tertiary institutions in the zone with adequate funding and provision of quality infrastructure if elected governor of the state.
Lanlehin also promised to ensure local government councils and local council development authorities (LCDAs) are well funded to carry out their constitutional duties to the people, assuring that his wife would not be interested in milking the councils through the ‘Mummy has interest’ syndrome.
The ADC candidate spoke in Eruwa, Ibarapa East Local Government Area of the state on Thursday evening during ADC zonal rally which had in attendance Senator Gbenga Babalola, Alhaji Raheem Muslim, Chief Joshua Odeyemi, Chief Solomon Ayansina, among other party leaders and executives.
Lanlehin, who was welcomed to Eruwa by a large crowd of party faithful and supporters, was also as the palace of the Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Adegbola, where he received royal blessing for his gubernatorial aspiration.
“In Ibarapa Polytechnic in Eruwa for about 20 months now, lecturers have not been paid their salaries. It is the same story for the College of Agriculture in Igbora as well as the College of Education in Lanlate, which, since its creation, not a single block has not been put on another there.
“My government will reverse till retrogressive trend and pay outstanding salaries of the lecturers. When teachers are paid timeously and quality infrastructure provided to make learning conducive.
“The money we spend on these schools will help re-inflate the local economy of Ibarapaland because jobs will be undertaken through direct labour approach to encourage locals to benefit.
“We won’t do things that will encourage capital flight. We will partonise qualified local contractors who will use their profit to benefit the economy of the state.
“I also want to assure you that all the local government councils and local development authorities in Ibarapaland and others in the state will be well funded to enable them discharge their constitutional responsibilities.
“They are the closest tier to the people and they should therefore be doing aggressive grass root development, unlike the comatose state they have been driven into now.
“And when we ensure adequate funding of the councils, we won’t come back to dish out instructions to the council chairmen that “Mummy [First Lady] has interest [in projects to be executed by the councils]. I assure you that my wife will not be interested in milking the councils.
“My ultimate goal is to lead happy and prosperous citizens and residents of Oyo State and I have demonstrated this sufficiently in all public positions I have held. This is why the people call me a friend of the masses. I won’t disappoint the masses as governor of the state.
“The plunderers are on the prowl. Be watchful and shine your eyes. God will judge those we entrusted our treasury and wealth to, but who pillaged it to emptiness. They will surely account for their wickedness before God,” he said.
