Dappa Maharajah
PIX STORY: (Gov. Akeredolu commissions the motor grader as Senator Omogunwa and other dignitaries watch on)
THE Senator representing Ondo State South Senatorial District, Pastor Yele Omogunwa, has iterated the need to complement the efforts of government at all levels so as to revolutionize urban development and agriculture in the country.
Omogunwa said this during the second phase of his empowerment programme recently in Irele town, the headquarters of Irele LGA, where he donated a motor grader and other empowerment materials to the people.
He noted that elected representatives could further spread dividends of democracy to the people, especially to directly or indirectly cushion the effects of current economic recession.

He distributed 120 pieces of mattresses to selected health centres in the six council areas of the district, while 240 bags of cement were shared in same manner to assist primary and secondary schools to rehabilitate their classrooms.
Other material were: 4000 copies of Mathematics textbooks for Junior Secondary Students preparing for junior WAEC/NECO, 300 bags of rice, 480 pieces of clothing, 24 cartons of vegetable oil, 36 cartons of soap and detergents; and N1,050,000 was shared among 35 widows to boost their commercial activities.

While the Senator said the motor grader was particularly procured to ease movement of the farmers and their products through the grading of the rural and feeder roads.

“This machine will be for the benefit of all communities in Ondo South. My interaction with farmers and traders generally reveals that the effect of cost of transportation on prices of foodstuffs is abysmal.”
He added that farmers and traders are constantly facing great challenges to transport their products out of their various farms and settlements because of the deplorable conditions of their roads.
“As a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, I am of the opinion that this grader will boost agriculture in a way and open up our rural areas for desired development.
“The operation will also include grading of our township roads to ease other vehicular movement for the benefit of the populace,” he said, pledging to always reach out to the people despite the harsh economic situation in the nation.

According to him, the first phase of empowerment on March 16, 2016, was targeted at individuals and estimated at N160m; but the second phase which included institutions, schools and health centres was estimated at N80m.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), who commissioned the grader equipment and also flagged off the grading of the rural areas for farming season, lauded the senator for the projects embarked upon in the district.

Akeredolu, who noted that the prosperity of the state is in the South District, said his administration would work mutually with other stakeholders to utilize the potentials for large scale development.
He assured that the Araromi-Akodo-Lekki road project would soon be completed for the benefit of the state, saying it links the coastal area to Lagos State within an hour journey.
The governor tasked the youths and other stakeholders in the area to cooperate with the government and other investors in the area, imploring them that “those good things we want to do here, please don’t discourage them