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Ahead of September 22, Osun state governorship election, a journalist, Samuel Ibiyemi, has formally declared intention to contest the poll on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Addressing newsmen in Osogbo at the weekend, Ibiyemi, who is the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Nigerian News Direct Newspapers, promised to create as much as 600,000 jobs in the first four years of his administration.
He said youth employment would be the focal point of his administration being a sustainable panacea to many of the socio-economic challenges facing the country.
The media owner harped on the need to build on huge infrastructural development drive of the Aregbesola’s administration, hence his resolve to further improve infrastructural amenities across the state.
Ibiyemi said: “For my government, we will focus on job creation particularly for the youths. Our target is that, in the first four years of our administration, we will provide gainful employment directly for 400,000 youths and another 200,000 jobs through the establishment of 10 vocational centres in each local government and LCDA of the state. We wil also collaborate with the Bank of Industry (BoI) for soft loans to start new businesses by our youths.
“Investment in ICT for our youths to compete for jobs within and outside the state will be our priority. Osun youths are known to be creative, intelligent and hard working. Hence, various committees are being constituted currently across the state to identify certain areas of their needs.”
He also promised to place top priority on the welfare of the workers in the state, saying, “our civil servants will smile again. They will be receiving their salaries and allowances as and when due, if I am elected governor”.
According to him, gradual rise in global oil prices has made another opportunity to improve the welfare of the civil servants and generality of the state possible.
As part of plans to create jobs, Ibiyemi said: “research and development is an area abandoned by successive administrations. With the number of tertiary institutions in Osun, we will collaborate with them, we will provide opportunity for us to become inventors.
“On infrastructure, construction of roads and facilities needed to attract investment will be given due attention. This area wil help me to create additional jobs. For instance, on a project site where a contractor engages 50 workers, additional 100 jobs by sub-contractors and food suppliers, among others will be created.
“The state is blessed with several solid minerals such as gold, precious stones and all that. These resources remain a major source of revenue generation through the invitation of genuine investments.”
He commended Governor Rauf Aregbesola for his unprecedented achievements despite meager resources in the Federal Allocation and promised to build on Aregbesola’s achievements, if elected.
He urged the leadership of APC not to consider zoning the party’s governorship ticket to a particular zone, in order to allow the best candidate to take the job.
Ibiyemi hails from Ile-Ife and he is the first aspirant on the platform of the ruling APC to declare governorship interest.
BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA, Osogbo
