Adeleke commends Tinubu for economic restoration
By Jeleel Olawale
The Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has on Monday commended president Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his relentless action towards economic restoration of the country with a view to return the country’s socio-economic progress.
Adeleke made the disclosure in his New Year speech to the people of the state, according to him, “as we all know and as we are still experiencing, the economic crisis continues unabated despite the best of efforts.
“Osun, through the National Economic Council, is collaborating with the central government to support federal initiatives targeted at reducing inflation, cost of living and stabilising the national economy.”
He assured the people of the state of various intervention funds received from the Federal Government and development partners are being carefully applied for various purposes as designed, ranging from infrastructure, wage award, transport logistics to social investment as manifested in the many completed and ongoing grassroots development projects in Osun state.
“Our administration ensures strict compliance with due process, procurement laws and public service financial regulations.
“Beyond supporting federal initiatives, our government is also ensuring judicious application of intervention resources for maximum impact. Unlike the practice in the past, our government is focussing on groups with a likely multiplier effect on the larger society. We are aware of the strong nexus between formal and informal sectors of Osun society,” he said.
Adeleke added that as a people, the nation is passing through serious economic challenges.
“As a sub-national entity, Osun, like all other states within the federation, bears harsh consequences of inflationary crisis, high cost of living and unstable exchange rates. These are macro and micro economic issues largely beyond the purview of the state governments.
“In this national economic crisis, the Federal Government through the National Economic Council attempted to create a collective focus for a solution. All states committed themselves to this national joint effort. This resulted in specific interventions designed to cushion the negative fallouts of the national dislocation in the national economy.
“I am happy to tell you that as the state ramps up efforts to cushion the effect of hard times, we are also implementing an ambitious state agenda which targets infrastructure upgrade, diversifying the state economic base and deepening the revenue structure of the state,” he declared.
He noted that with the infra upgrade, he is convinced that the state economy cannot attract required investment to realise its industrial potential unless the problem of infrastructure deficit is addressed. Hence, the implementation of the multi-billion naira infra plan that I launched a few months ago.
“Our dream is for an Osun economy that gradually moves away from its civil service status to a modern agro-industrial based, creative industry focussed economy.
“Such diversification with a functioning cargo/commercial airport will grow Osun as an export oriented economy as well as a global tourist destination being the host of important Yoruba cultural assets. I just signed the 2024 Budget into law, which encompasses our plans and agenda for the new year. It is a year of reconstruction and eventual recovery,” Adeleke concluded.
