Osun at 29: Oyetola promises prosperity, sustainable development

The Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has reaffirmed the administration’s resolve to reclaim missed opportunities and set Osun on the path of sustainable prosperity and development.

Oyetola stated this on Tuesday while addressing participants at the maiden Virtual Public Lecture organised by the State’s Ministry of Regional Integration and Special Duties, to herald the 29th Anniversary of the creation of the State.

Speaking on the theme of the lecture, “Unbundling Osun Potential towards prosperity in Agriculture, Tourism and Mining”, Oyetola noted that “As a responsible government which inherited a fragile economy and faced with COVID-19 dilemma but is not given to excuses, we have gone back to the drawing board to creatively design an unusual method to respond to the challenges in order to deliver the better life to the people.

The governor  who reeled out some of the achievements of his administration in the last one and half years, said the government had successfully consolidated on the past strides and recorded huge success in its efforts to stimulate the economy of the state and utilise the state’s socio-economic potential.

“This Virtual Lecture is therefore a creative and proactive response to achieving the objective of the Economic and Investment Summit, which we floated in November last year as our solution to lifting the State out of economic woes and making it an economic hub of the South West.

“The theme of this Virtual Lecture is apt and timely at this period when petro dollar is declining, monthly allocation is progressively tumbling and economic activities are diminishing.

“It is also apposite that the Lecture is coming at a time when diversification of the economy remains the obvious road to economic recovery and prosperity.

“As an Administration, we believe that our State has all it takes to prosper and that the greatest potential of Osun State is its people and the resources that lie under its soil. At a perilous time like this, there is a need to look inward to tap on our strength and potential in Agriculture, Tourism and Mining, which, without doubt, are our areas of comparative advantage.

“From the experience of the nation with oil, unbundling Osun potential towards prosperity in its areas of comparative advantage goes beyond resource abundance.

“We shall need to approach our potential as business and adopt an amalgam of appropriate strategy, efficient and competent personnel and employment of due process in the management of our resources to avoid resource curse”, he said.

Oyetola who reassured of the government’s commitment to contain the spread of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic and revive the economy of the state, said “the administration is resolved to wriggle the State out of lack and put it on the lane of prosperity”

He added: “Hardship occasioned by national economic downturn and Covid-19 challenges notwithstanding, our administration is resolved to wriggle the State out of lack and put it on the lane of prosperity.

“We have the political will and the competent personnel. Our ability to prudently manage our resources since we assumed power and to keep our economy afloat in the face of depressed economy is proof that we have the capacity to translate our resources to sustainable wealth.

“In order to harness all of these for effective and efficient management of our resources, we shall regularly build capacity by organising seminars and workshops to build capacity”.

The Governor went on to congratulate the citizens and residents of the state on the occasion of the 29th anniversary just as he called on them particularly the youths to key into some of the life-changing policies and programmes of the government designed to uplift their lives and banish hunger, poverty and the scourge of unemployment.

The three Guest Speakers at the event including the Director General of IITA, Ibadan, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, a tourism expert, Mrs Chiamaka Ifediora and Former Special Assistant to the former Minister of Petroleum, Barrister Najim Animashaun, spoke extensively on the need for the state to properly harness her potential in the areas of agriculture, tourism and mining.