Ajimobi to give relocated traders interest-free loans

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has promised traders who were relocated to all the neighbourhood markets established by the government interest-free loans to boost their trade.

He gave the promise on Wednesday shortly after completing a facilities tour of some projects currently being executed by his administration within Ibadan metropolis.

Governor Ajimobi, who said that the loans would be repaid at the traders’ convenience, thanked the people of the state for their cooperation and support for his government’s urban renewal programmes.

``I think generally, things are improving. We are very happy and you can see that our people are cooperating; everybody has now realized the need to keep our environment very clean, to make it aesthetically attractive and to ensure that potential investors can come to Oyo State.

``I am generally happy with the compliance of our people; we went to the market; those that we removed from the streets are very happy and we have also promised to assist them financially; we will give them interest-free loans which they can use to trade.

``We believe that traders are the bedrock of the economy of the state and we intend to help all our traders but we don’t want people to trade on the streets any longer,’’ he said.

He appealed to traders who were still trading on the streets to vacate and move to the neighbourhood markets where necessary facilities were being provided for their convenience.

The governor also disclosed that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had assisted the state government by allocating funds to build a library at the newly-established Technical University.

Some of the projects inspected by the governor included the Technical University and the Transformation Housing Estate, both on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, as well as the Scout Camp Neighbourhood Market at Challenge in Ibadan.

Ajimobi Reiterates Govt.’s Commitment to Agric Revolution, Inaugurate 320 Tractors

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Thursday inaugurated a total of 320 tractors, reiterating his administration’s commitment to revolutionizing agriculture as a means of alleviating poverty in the state.

The 320 Massey Ferguson tractors, purchased by the state government, in conjunction with the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), will be distributed to 20 local government councils at 16 per council.

The remaining 13 local government councils had in November 2012 benefitted from the 39 mini refuse trucks also procured by the state in conjunction with ALGON.

While acknowledging the collaborative efforts of ALGON in his administration’s strive at improving the economy of the state, Governor Ajimobi described local governments as veritable avenues of empowering the people.   

``This is why any government that is desirous of enhancing and empowering people at the grassroots cannot but partner the local government as a tier of government.

``The local government is essential in networking governmental aspirations in the provision of public amenities such as good road network, rural integration and transportation facilities. It is this synergy that has become the testament of our administration and which gave birth to this event,’’ he said.

The governor also emphasized the importance of agriculture, adding ``not only is it a major kernel of our cardinal programmes, it receives daily attention of government in our constant search for succor for our people’’.

This, according to him, is because agriculture holds the ace of providing job opportunities forthe teeming unemployed youths, as well as combating hunger among the populace.

Aside providing means of livelihood for the people and thereby alleviating poverty, an agriculture-centred economy, he said, could effectively eliminate the recourse to criminal acts by the youth, thereby combating social vices and enhancing trading and commerce. 

Governor Ajimobi said that this underscore of agriculture was in line with the transformation agenda of his administration, which he said, was a people-oriented programme that would put smiles on the faces of the people.

``Since our administration swore on oath to lend its shoulders to the discomforted to lean on, by providing succor for our people, we are merely walking according to the stated testament of our promises,’’ he said. 

The governor, however, implored the people of the state to join hands with this administration in maintaining perfect peace, stressing ``we cannot afford to allow divisive politicians to sow the seeds of discord into our midst. Development thrives only in an atmosphere of concord’’.

The ALGON Chairman in the state, Mr. Yekeen Popoola, in his address, said that the project was borne out of the peculiar need of the people of the state at different times.

He said that the procurement of the tractors would enable his colleagues to achieve one of the cardinal goals of the Ajimobi administration in the area of agriculture and rural development.

FG picks Ondo for Cassava Revolution

The Federal Government of Nigeria has chosen Ondo State as one of the 18 States for the establishment of its cassava processing plants.

The Technical Adviser-Operations to the Minister of Agriculture, Mrs Toyin Adetunji disclosed this during a meeting with the State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, in his office in Akure, on Monday.

Adetunji said the Federal Government is set to work hand in hand with the Ondo state government in the area of land acquisition and clearing. She assured that the keen interest of Governor Mimiko's administration in cassava revolution would fast track the take-off of the processing plant which will be sited in Ore and would cover about 6,000 hectares of land.

In his response, Governor Mimiko reiterated his administration's strong belief in agriculture as a veritable tool for poverty reduction and youth engagement. He therefore signified the interest of the State government to partner with the Federal Government in making its cassava revolution programme a reality in Ondo State.

Dr Olusegun Mimiko, who described agriculture as a major panacea for poverty alleviation, but yet to be fully exploited, threw his weight behind the cassava revolution agenda of the Federal Government, which he said will boost food production in the country.

His words: "we are ready to partner with you in this noble idea, particularly in agriculture in which I have no doubt in my mind that it will engage youth positively and also reduce poverty in this country.

"The choice to site the plant in Ore is right, there is infrastructure, there is power, perhaps the most accessible city to market. This is a merger of vision and we'll continue to partner with the Federal Government on innovations like this.”

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