Ogun’s new found prosperity under Ibikunle Amosun

Going by the sheer number of higher institutions of learning in Ogun State alone, the State should have the highest job applicants turnover. There is the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ojere, Abeokuta, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa (campuses in Saapade, Ijebu-Igbo and Itori), Federal College of Education, Osiele, Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu, Ijebu and so many others. There are high flying Privately-owned Universities and other institutions of higher learning as well. All these, arguably make Ogun State a hub of labour recruitment but now has turned into an industrial destination of choice of the Country.

Mr. Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun State Governor

In time past, the State was designated as a “civil service” state on account of these institutions of learning principally providing jobs and being the mainstay of the state’s economy. But in the four years however, this designation was no longer applied. Figures from the state government point to a remarkable drop in civil service applications in both state and federal government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) located in the state.

This development is not on account of no job vacancies. Rather, young graduates and other job applicants, especially in the last four years, have begun to find vocations in the burgeoning local economy in the state and private owned companies in the State. On account of specially targeted policies to create and nourish Small and Medium Scale enterprises all over the State, vocations requires young entrepreneurs are now readily available.

In addition to this, over 276 industries have situated in the state which the people believes that Ogun State remained the industrial hub and destination of choice of the Country, amongst the Companies includes; Food Beverage and Technology Industries, Chemical and Pharmaceuticals Companies, Domestic and Indusrtial Plastic, Rubber and Foam Industries, Basic metal, Iron and Steel, Fabrication metal Products, Pulp, Paper and Paper Products, Printing and Publishing Companies, Electrical and Electronics, Wood and Wood Products Furniture, Non-metallic Mineral Products, Motor Vehicle and Miscellaneous Assembly to mention but a few.

Banker, Chemist and Politician, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Governor of the state and the man behind the reinventing of the economic fortunes of the state, bring to his job an uncommon passion and vision. Back in 2011 when he assumed office, Governor Amosun had a clear vision and focus on what he wanted to move the State to greater and enviable height.

“The last eight years of my predecessor has demonstrated that Ogun State can be elevated into a hub of prosperity and industrial destination of choice. We created an industry from Agriculture one never heard of in this country for a long while. Today, Ogun has deservedly won it’s place among the very first destination of mechanised, full time commercial agriculture and we have uplifted the fortunes of an entire rural populace and it’s environs in such a manner that can’t be rivaled. We intend to pick up from there and do more”, said Amosun a few weeks after his inauguration as governnor.

Going by impressive figures of job creation and development in the State, Governor Amosun meant every word he spoke on that august occasion in 2011 and 2015. Under his policy “Mission to Rebuild”, the governor has implemented several life-transforming programmes such as the innovative Mission To Rebuild (MITROS) and UPLIFTing Development Foundation, under which the government employed over 5000 youths and 10,000 Civil Servants respectively.

Also empowered are 50,000 small business owners, 1,000 transporters and over 20,000 artisan groups across the state have benefited from the first tranche of N100 million, second tranche of N200 million and third tranche of N400 million of gender sensitive administration with interest-free soft loans to aid their businesses. The present administration also disbursed billion of naira to cooperative societies, as well as Small and Medium Scale enterprises (SMEs) in form of Micro-Credit loan in the state under the Ogun State entrepreneurship scheme since 2011 till date.

Governor Amosun did not focus on the economic sector in isolation. By UN standard of wealth creation and development, a growing economy must go in tandem with the other development indices like health, education, transportation and infrastructure development. Other modern trends also include social provisions like soft loans and so on. Therefore, while pursuing a robust policy on empowerment, other critical sectors that directly impact on lives and welfare of residents in the state were not neglected.

For instance, to underscore the importance attached by his administration to civil servants, Governor Amosun facilitated some billions of Naira in form of car refurbish loans to civil servants and prompt payment of salary, especially teachers. This plus other welfare package like training, provision of affordable housing and befitting office accommodation make Ogun civil servants standout.

In the education sector, groundbreaking educational reforms have increased. There is infrastructure improvement with the construction and rehabilitation of over 500 classrooms at primary and secondary school levels including the newly constructed 26 model schools across the State. The State Governor also introduced free education from primary level to secondary and gave the bags, notebooks and textbooks to all public schools pupils in the state.

In the health sector, government has supplied drugs and equipment to 20 general hospitals and 50 primary health care centres as well as remodelled and modernised Totoro health care centre. The governor took a decisive action with the rehabilitation of some Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) in the State, he provided them with basic medical and infrastructural facilities. The rehabilitated centres are spread across the LGAs. This is in line with the state government’s determination to refurbish at least one PHC in every ward in the state. The governor did not stop at the rehabilitation of these centres but went ahead to construct another PHC at Obantoko in Odeda LGA of the State.

Towards meeting it’s target of connecting all communities in the state to the national electricity grid, Governor Amosun’s rural and urban electrification project has seen more than 500 communities in the State connected to the national grid. Abeokuta, the State capital, is especially more beautiful at night, thanks to urban street light project and road reconstruction and expansion that has been extended to several major streets of the state.

To achieve its target of ensuring access to clean water in the State, Governor Amosun has extended new water pipeline in some areas like Akinolugbade, Adigbe, Ojere, Obaa and many other areas which involved laying of 500mm diameter plastic pipes to relieve the communities of problem of acute shortage of water.

In a related development, the governor has been paying regularly the state counterpart funds for the World Bank Assisted Water Projects. The governor came on board and embarked on general overhauling of the power plant in the state to be used as alternative power supply to the scheme for prompt and regular water supply for the people of the state.

Obviously, the present administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State has done a lot to salvage the obsolete water scheme in the state and bring to an end to shortage and scarcity of water in the state and also to wresting the people of the state from water borne diseases.

In the road sector, the state government has implemented the highly applauded ” Mission to Rebuild” launched in 2011 to ensure that all roads in the state including federal roads are motorable, in that terms, “rebuild” often entails high level of altercation and re-design of existing structure to give way for a larger or more befitting edifice. It is in this light that one can situate the ongoing road dualisation projects at Abeokuta, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode, Ota, Igua, Ijogun, Paplanto, Ilaro, Oja-Odan and many more roads.

There is no why rebuilding these roads will not involve demolition of some existing structures of private citizens as well as those of government and public uses in the interest of all, apparently, public interest has to override private interest especially in matters of socio-economic development.

The same is applicable to urban renewal, which it must be noted, is visible in Abeokuta, (the state capital) Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Sango-Ota, and Yewa axis. Except the “Rock city” as Abeokuta is known want to maintain its old and rustic look with ancient family houses and compounds, then some structures have to give way for modern structures, infrastructures and facilities to boost the socio-economic position of the state capable of attracting both local and foreign investors.

*** Orunbon, a political analyst writes from Federal Housing Estate, Olomore, Abeokuta Ogun State.