A socio-cultural group, Ebedi Frontliners, Iseyin (EFI) has tasked both the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the reelected governor of Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde on infrastructural development at the federal and state levels.
The group which congratulated Tinubu and Makinde, Senator Fatai Buhari, Hon. Oyeshina Oyedemi (Oshine) and Hon. Dele Adeola on their victories at the last general elections, urged them to key into the community’s development agenda, which it said would have positive impacts on the nation.
Its president, Mr. Olusegun Adeleke, vice president, Mr. Abiodun Bambi and public relations officer, Alhaji Segun Fasasi, outlined the projects, programmes and actions that they believed would have benefits on the people of the community, Oyo State and Nigeria in the areas of food sustenance, job provision, completion of the Ikere Gorge Dam project, re-construction of federal roads around Oke-Ogun area, among others.
The organisation bemoaned what it called the neglect of Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in his eight years in office, as no physical infrastructural project was allocated to the region that consists of 10 local government areas.
EFI called on Tinubu to see the completion of the abandoned Ikere Gorge Dam project as a must, so as to show gratitude to the people of Oke-Ogun region for their support towards his victory and to effect a positive change in power generation by reactivating the dam.
“The agenda for development in our area is anchored upon sustainable agricultural development, security of lives and properties, provision of employment and public infrastructures like the federal roads in and around us.
“The Ikere Gorge Dam was inaugurated by the Shehu Shagari administration in 1979 to generate electricity and portable water for Oyo State and three other neighboring South-Western states, but has been abandoned since then while the multimillion naira equipment procured then have been outdated or left to rot, we believe that as part of the move by the incoming administration to increase power generation to meet the industrial and household needs of the people of the Southwest Nigeria, there is need to complete the project and as well put life into the water distribution aspect of the project to meet the yearnings of the people.’’