Hon Oladipupo Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, stormed Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state on Thursday, vowing to address inconsistent power supply and road infrastructure decay in the industrial region.
Adebutu and his running mate, Adekunle Akinlade, as well as party officials and candidates, began the Thursday campaign in Igbesa, went to Agbara, and later had the LG event in Ado-Odo, in front of a raucous audience.
In his remarks, the governorship candidate expressed concern that, despite huge revenue generated by the Value Added Tax (VAT) from the LG, which is often referred to as Nigeria’s industrial capital, communities under the LG continue to struggle with poor electricity supply and deplorable living conditions.
According to him, many companies have relocated from the industrial cluster due to poor infrastructure, and as a result, thousands of youths have been rendered jobless.
“With the huge VAT being generated from this LG, it is moral that the Federal and state governments fix your roads,” he told the cheering crowd of supporters and residents.
If elected, Adebutu promised to fix power and road challenges in the area.
“States now have power to generate electricity locally. If we generate power locally, those companies will no longer relocate from here and there will be jobs for our youths. And by extension, it will curb insecurity,” he said.
Speaking Agbara, Adebutu expressed regret that the “killing” of the Local Government administration has compounded the infrastructure decay in the state.
He disclosed that his administration would establish a Border Community Authority to cater for the needs of the rural areas across the state.
He re-echoed the need to generate power locally in order to drive industrial growth.
Adebutu boasted that he had provided more transformers to communities across the state “more than what the government has provided.”
“The number of transformers I have given communities is more than what government has given,” he said.
Only on Thursday, Adebutu donated two transformers to two communities in the LG as residents erupted in joy, saying they have been in darkness for months.
At Ketu Adie-Owe, a community in Ado-Odo, it was like a carnival as dwellers gathered for celebration over the transformer donated to them by Adebutu.
The Osi Ketu Adie-Owe, Chief Kehinde Ogunbisi said “We are happy. For many months now, we do not have electricity supply. It has affected the socio-economic activities of the community. We have begged and written to the government for assistance, but no solution.
“We are so glad that Hon Adebutu has come to our rescue. In fact, when they brought the transformer here, we partied overnight. When we heard that the donor will be visiting today, we had to gather here to show appreciation to him.”
He promised that the community would reciprocate Adebutu’s good gesture during election.
Speaking on behalf of other candidates, the Ogun West Senatorial Candidate, Ganiyu Dada Obanibasiri said Adebutu had not only demonstrated his understanding of the plight of the people of Ado-Odo/Ota, but also, he shown the readiness to tackle them headlong.
He urged electorates in the LG to vote massively for the PDP and chase out the ruling party.
“Whoever votes APC in the coming election needs a brain check because, with the level of suffering, hardship and economic instability, no one is expected to vote APC again,” Obanibasiri said.