Mayowa Akinfolarin, frontline governorship aspirant under the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ondo State on Friday declared that the state would once again witness another era of unimaginable infrastructural development if given the party’s ticket, and eventually wins the 2024 governorship election.
The businessman who was a member of the Ondo State House of Assembly from 2003 to 2011 and a member of the Nigeria Federal House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023 stated this this while speaking in Ikare-Akoko and Oke-Agbe, headquarters of Akoko North-East, Akoko North-West Local Government Areas of the state respectively, in continuation of his consultation tour of the state’s 18 council areas ahead of next month’s primary election.
The governorship aspirant who was received by party leaders and a large crowd of supporters, said public infrastructure across the state had collapsed due to many years of neglect but vowed to bridge the gap of huge infrastructural deficit.
He promised to bring back the glory days where Ondo State was a producing state by industrializing the state and ultimately providing more jobs to the unemployed youths in the state.
Basically, the former deputy speaker of the state House of Assembly lamented that many industries established by former governors, Pa Adekunle Ajasin and Adebayo Adefarati, have been grounded.
Akinfolarin said one of his priorities as governor would be to restore the lost glory of the state by reviving the industries and establishing new ones.
His words: “If you look at the achievements of former governors in the state, you will know that they were serious political thinkers who saw many things outside their present realities.
“Like Baba Adekunle Ajasin, he was able to transform Ondo State by way of establishing industrial hubs across the state.
“You can mention Ile-Oluji cocoa industry, the Ifon ceramic industry, Oluwa glass and so many others. They were able to do so many of these things because they observed their environment and identified the kind of mineral resources at their disposal.”
He emphasised that, “We have a special sand in Igbokoda, we have timbers, we have cocoa. So, if you want to industrialize a state, you must start by identifying the mineral resources available rather copying what is applicable in China, American or Lagos. Lagos is a metropolitan state, what they are doing their can’t fit in with our needs in Ondo State.
“So, as someone who carry the aspiration, needs of the people, it’s my duty to create an enabling environment for the transformation of this state.”
