Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the October 20 governorship electionin Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke has promised to lift the people out of poverty by generatingemployment, creating wealth, as well as enabling agricultural and industrial revolutions if voted into power, .
Chief Oke, whos spoke in Lagos at the weekend, said people in the state are poor today because wealth is not being created, as there are no industries or small-scale businesses, adding that the only institution from which people make money is the government.
He argued that the previous administration was already making major progress towards industrial revolution through industrial parks,through Alpha-3D in Ikare, through the tourists project in Idanre and the dam in Owena, lamenting that failure to continue these projects led to the situation where the only employer of labour in Ondo State remains the government of today.
"People are poor because of government policy which does not create alternative employers of labour, alternative generators ofwealth for people of the state," he said, and faulted the current Labour Party administration for abandoning all projects of the previous PDP administration of Dr. Olusegun Agagu, which he said were well conceived, and meant to enable agricultural and industrial revolutions in the Ondo State.
He accused the incumbent administration of embarking on 'cosmetic projects', such as bus stops, fountain, and markets, describing these as 'Quick-win, quick-clap earning projects' that are not meant to generate wealth.
Explaining how he would generate employment, the PDP candidate said he would save a lot of money by doing away with most of the 800 advisers of the incumbent governor, 80 percent of whom he alleged are sit-at-home income earners, adding that he would use the resources to employ graduates in identified areas of needs in Ministries and Parastatals. Under his administration, he said, only people who would add value to government would be given appointment.
According to him, huge savings would also be made from the security vote of the governor, which N4 billion in this year's budget, while road projects, which he allegedwere being inflated by over 1,000 percent, would also be undertaken at reasonable costs.
He cited as example a two kilometres road in Igbokoda with no bridges or culverts, awarded at the cost of N1.4 billion per kilometre; whereas about four to five years ago, the PDP administration awarded a road project between Igbokoda and Ugbonla, in marshy area, with two very long bridges and over 70 culverts, at less than N200 million per kilometre. The Compass Newspaper
We hope they fufil their promise