One of the 16 governorship aspirants jostling for the All Progressives Congress ticket in Ondo State, Olusola Oke, has promised to make agriculture the mainstay of the state’s economy if elected.
Oke spoke after submitting his expression of interest and nomination form at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Friday.
He said the reforms he planned for the agriculture sector in the state can only be successful if the farmers feel secure, hence the need to move operatives of Amotekun Corps from towns to the farmlands.
He said, “Ondo State at this moment has challenges that require a man of character to rise to the occasion. Having discovered what is responsible for the level of poverty, my decision, if I become the governor of Ondo State, by the grace of God, is to open up the farmlands and good roads that will traverse the entire landscape.
“One major challenge that is also making farming difficult in the state is insecurity.
“As far as I am concerned, the Amotekun has no role to play in town. I will build a barrack for them inside the farmlands so that they can give a sense of security to our people.
“I won’t stop there. I will also give high-yielding seedlings to the farmers, which they will also pay back. My belief is that if we can do this, we’ll be able to reduce the level of poverty in that state.
“I want to acknowledge the major role of my brother and friend, Late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who had gone to answer the call of God Almighty. He did a lot in terms of security. But what is remaining which I intend to do is to extend it to protect the farmers on their farmlands. Since the creation of the state in 1976, no government has made serious efforts to open up our resources in the forests.”
Oke backed the introduction of direct primary for the shadow poll, saying it is not prone to abuse and manipulation, unlike the indirect mode.
He also faulted claims that President Bola Tinubu has endorsed one of the 16 aspirants vying for the ticket.
