OYEDELE BACKS AIYEDATIWA’S DEVELOPMENT DRIVE, SAYS POROYE
Finance Minister urges stakeholders to support Ondo Governor’s transformation agenda
The Minister of Finance, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has encouraged stakeholders to support the Ondo State Governor, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, in his quest to transform the state, the Executive Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Prince Biyi Poroye, has disclosed.
Poroye made this known during a high-powered delegation’s visit to the Minister of Finance in Abuja to seek Federal Government intervention in the controversy surrounding the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road and the developmental challenges confronting Ondo State’s coastal communities.
According to the OSOPADEC chairman, Oyedele emphasised the need for collective support for the governor’s development agenda, noting that the transformation of Ondo State required cooperation among political leaders, public officeholders and other stakeholders.
Poroye said the minister’s position reinforced the need for all relevant stakeholders, particularly federal ministers and lawmakers from Ondo State, to work together in advancing the state’s interests and securing critical federal interventions.
He disclosed that Governor Aiyedatiwa had repeatedly appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and Hitech Construction Company to reconsider the alignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road to accommodate the Ilaje and Ese-Odo axes.
The OSOPADEC chairman urged federal ministers and senators from Ondo State to complement the governor’s efforts by using their positions and influence to ensure that the concerns of the affected coastal communities received the necessary attention.
Poroye maintained that the controversy over the coastal road should not degenerate into political blame-trading, stressing that the priority should be securing tangible developmental benefits for the people.
He called for a united approach to addressing the exclusion of parts of the oil-producing areas from the coastal highway project, noting that the affected communities continued to face serious environmental threats, including sea incursion and the effects of climate change.
Beyond the coastal road, Poroye appealed for a comprehensive Federal Government special intervention fund to address critical infrastructure and environmental challenges in the riverine communities.
He identified shoreline protection, waterway dredging, flood control, road construction, livelihood restoration and security as priority areas requiring urgent attention.
The OSOPADEC chairman urged Oyedele to facilitate engagement with relevant federal authorities to explore funding opportunities and sustainable solutions to the challenges confronting the coastal areas.
He expressed optimism that the minister’s encouragement of collective support for Governor Aiyedatiwa would strengthen collaboration among stakeholders and advance the state’s development objectives.
