Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State has warned traditional rulers in Oke-Ogun zone and other parts of the State to avoid indiscriminate signing of licences for miners.
Governor Makinde stated that the area might have to grapple with the negative environmental impacts of illegal mining in the not-too-distant future.
He stated this at the End-time Cry Bible Church, Igbeti, Oyo State, at the funeral ceremony of Victoria Omolayo Oni, stepmother of Abiodun Oni, the Special Adviser to Governor Makinde on Solid Minerals Development and Chairman of the Oyo State Solid Minerals Development Agency.
He, however, said that his Administration’s commitment to building infrastructure for economic expansion had seen it embark on a massive drive to connect Local Government Areas in Oke-Ogun Zone II to Saki’s economy.
The governor stated that the Saki-Ogboro-Igboho Road, which seeks to connect Saki West, Saki East and Oorelope LGs had reached an advanced stage, while the project would also be extended to connect Agbonle in Saki East, Igbeti in Olorunsogo LG and Kisi in Irepo LG.
He added that connecting the local government areas would result in the desired economic uplift of the zone, noting that he had the idea of connecting the areas as far back as 1984, when he visited Igbeti as a young boy and noticed that the people had difficulties moving across the area due to lack of roads.
He added that his Administration would also fulfill its promise to build an airstrip for security surveillance and also rehabilitate and equip the Igbeti General Hospital in line with his promise during electioneering.
Governor Makinde, who lauded Madam Oni for living a good life and making impact on the society as well as himself, as he first met her when he visited Igbeti as a young boy, donated N25 million to the End-time Cry Bible Church, Igbeti, to immmortalise her.
He said, “All the things the Reverend said were the promises we made. We have gone through one or two of them and before the completion of my tenure, they will happen. One of the promises is the construction of an airstrip in Igbeti for security surveillance. I will fly into Igbeti before the end of my tenure. I have not forgotten at all, because it is already a work in progress.
“Also, the Igbeti General Hospital is part of those captured in the French programme. We have done the survey; the project should kick off very soon. You also talked about a road connecting Ogbomoso-Oyo axis. They have traced the road from Igbeti that links Igbeti to Ogbomoso through the Iseyin-Fapote-Ogbomoso Road. It is 102 kilometres.
“The survey has been done and, hopefully, we will start it. But by 2027, if you vote for whoever we advise you to vote for, they will complete the road project. I know the road is important. But there is one before it that is more important; the Saki-Ogboro-Igboho Road. We have already done the road up to somewhere after Ogbooro. When it reaches Igboho, it will take a spur to Kisi and also another spur to Igbeti as well.
“There will also be a spur to Agbonle. These roads will give the connectivity we need, which will boost the economy of this zone.
We are already fixing the road connecting Iseyin to Saki, though it is a federal road. Once we connect Iseyin to Saki for now and Saki to Ogboro to Igboho to Igbeti, I believe we would have achieved 80% of the desired connectivity to lift the economy of this place, because Saki is the most solid economy around this axis and once the other local governments are connected to it, it will bring about the desired economic uplift for this area.
“I tell people that I didn’t just make the decision to fix these roads. It was an idea that I have nursed since 1984 as a young boy and I am happy that I can bring the idea to reality.”
