An Ekiti State Gubernatorial Aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Engr. Kayode Ojo, has observed that the state has the potentials of creating its wealth and reduce total dependence on the allocations from the Federal Government before being able to grow its infrastructure.
The Oil and Gas mogul made this known in a recent conversation with newsmen in Lagos, lamenting that Ekiti state, unlike many other states, is yet to discover its potentials not to talk of exploring it to create wealth for the people.
Promising to focus on the industrial strength of the State and the people to drive its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Ojo noted that the state of infrastructure in the state is pitiful but can be better.
The Ikoro-Ekiti-born entrepreneur said: “We should be working on how to move from being a rural state to an urban state where the about 136 towns and villages can boast of consistent power supply. To achieve this, all that we need is just 20megawatt of power. Unfortunately, what you see right now is darkness everywhere.
“The good people of Ekiti State are yearning for something fresh, someone without political baggage, somebody who comes in from the private sector with experience in developing people and an entrepreneur that knows how to turn one Naira to two Naira.
“They want someone who has an antecedent in controlling several people to achieve a set goal, especially in the engineering sector where projects process takes long and you must deliver the project successfully, they want a person that has signed out cheques worth several millions. These are signs that such a person will not be moved by the money in government coffers and can control external influences.
According to the young politician and mentor to many, the state might be disadvantaged location wise but cannot fold its arms and continue to watch without doing anything to better the situation.
He praised Lagos State government for the feat achieved in drawing a budget of over N1trillion for 2018 fiscal year, noting that it is a record. “No state in Nigeria has achieved that feat. It’s because Lagos State is ready to generate enough revenue.
“So Ekiti State too has what it takes to stand tall among other States in Nigeria. But we need commitment buckled with experience. And what do I mean by experience, I mean we need somebody who has been able to turn N1 to N2. That’s the kind of leadership we need in Ekiti State, so that we can tap into what we have and use them to generate more revenue to develop the State.
He observed that the water produced by the state in partnership with UAC Nigeria Plc, Gossy Water could fetch the state more than the few millions it does right now, “only if it could be repackaged and rebranded. That table water has been like that almost since 2001 when it was established. Between then and now, how many times has Coca-Cola rebranded? So why is Gossy’s case like it is?” he pointed.
Ojo confirmed UAC’s claim that GOSSY is the only Natural Spring Water that passes through countless layers of rock from the aquifer of the Ikogosi Natural Springs in Ikogosi, Ekiti State which acts as a filter before it passes through micron filters, without chemical treatment or additives to enhance the quality or formation, saying that it is in better position as against some others packaged under unhealthy conditions.
“Nothing stops Ekiti from transporting the water to neighbouring states, especially Lagos with the large market. Our goal should be that Gossy is delivered to every five Star Hotel in town. It is regrettable that even within the state you can’t find it in the hotels. How much more outside the state.
“Currently, the investment fetches the government about 250million annually but can be expanded to become a N5billion investment. If you look at Ekiti today, everybody has seen that what PDP came to do in Ekiti is more or less what we call ‘419’. They had no vision, their major promise was ‘stomach infrastructure’. But if you look at the people’s stomachs now, they are still as flat as they were in 2014.
“So, majority of the people now understand that their lives cannot get better with just stomach infrastructure. They understand that their lives will only get better when there is opportunity for them to work, to earn money and use the money to support their families.
“If you look at APC states, you’ll see appreciable progress. I’m not saying everything is perfect, but you’ll see development of the people and the state. Everyone can see that APC governments grow the people.
“I have the track record, I have succeeded in the private sector, so, working for the people won’t be an issue. I have a successful engineering outfit that deals in all the equipment required for road construction and another one abroad that produces oil and gas specialized products. So, when I said Ekiti has the potentials to do far better than it is doing right now, you would understand that I have what it takes to fulfill these promises to Ekiti people.
“Well, we’ve seen people come in from the private sector and disappoint in government, but what is missing in them is compassion. I have always said that if we do not have someone with compassion, who is his brother’s keeper, we won’t get governance right.
“My life is not about me. It’s about others. That’s how it has always been and that’s why I’m in this race. I’ve looked in the eyes of ordinary people on the streets of Ekiti, and I feel for them; I know that their lives can be better.
“All we need is a person that knows how to utilise resources, how to make sure that the funds that come in are not just consumed. We can’t continue to consume and consume, we must produce our way out of poverty.
“What I am saying is that the people of Ekiti can entrust their futures and that of their children to me for the next four years. The state needs someone with compassion and across the state, and the people of Ekiti can testify that I have always shown compassion.
