By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
A former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, on Sunday declared that it’s his utmost desire to the creation of Ijebu State out of the present Ogun State come to reality before the expiration of the 10th National Assembly in 2027.
Daniel who is the arrowhead in the renewed clamour for the creation of Ijebu State, took a step further recently in that direction by sponsoring and presenting a Bill to that effect before the 10th Senate.
He said that it would be necessary for this long dream of the Ijebu people to materialise before the next general elections because of its significance to it.
The Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District who appealed to the Ogun East teeming supporters to renew his mandate in 2027, said that it would be easier for him to continue from where he stopped on the Ijebu State project in the event that it fails to materialise in the life of the 10th National Assembly.
In his reckoning, the mileage the project had so far garnered risks being rolled back as it will require starting afresh on the project with a new a senator.
The Senator spoke at Igode in Sagamu Local Government of Ogun State while addressing thousands of supporters, indigenes and residents of Igode community during his Midterm Community Assessment, Review Tour and the commissioning of the Renewed Hope International Market, Ìgodè.
He also used the occasion to declare his unalloyed support and that of his grassroots movement – Otunba Gbenga Daniel Grassroots Movement – for the reelection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Daniel said the support for Tinubu 2027 is sacrosanct.
The Ogun East Senator cited Tinubu’s conscious leadership, redirecting of the nation’s economy and reengineering the protocols of national engagements as reasons for his commitment to the President’s second term agenda.
The event which had in attendance representative of Senator Tokunbo Abiru, former House of Representatives member, Chief Bode Mustapha, monarchs and community leaders also witnessed free health care outreach and empowerment of the people with motorcycles, fertilizers, food items, footwear among others by Senator Daniel.
He explained that in the last two years, the present administration at the Centre had demonstrated the greatest amount of boldness in tackling critical and sometimes controversial issues surrounding the economy, stressing that only a leader like Tinubu with a virtue of courage who appreciates the real essence of power could dare to confront the monumental missteps of the past and chart a new way forward for the country.
Daniel noted that everything had not become rosy yet but pointed out that fuel subsidy removal had addressed the problem of scarcity while the bold step taken by the President to confront the scam in the monetary policy, particularly foreign exchange, had also stabilised the volatility in the forex market.
Referencing the Students’ Loan Scheme and other interventions of the Federal Government(FG) which he said had received positive reviews and acceptability from Nigerians, the ex – governor noted several of the FG initiatives align with the objectives of his Gateway Front Foundation (GFF).
He appealed to the people of Ogun East to renew his mandate and that of Tinubu in 2027.
Daniel said, “Let me state unequivocally that our support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is sacrosanct, and our reasons are very clear. Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu has provided our country with the first ever conscious leadership through a systematic process of rethinking the nation, redirecting our economy, and reengineering the protocols of our national engagements.
“The last two years of this administration at the national level have been about the fundamental redirection of our economy. This administration has shown the greatest amount of boldness in tackling critical and sometimes controversial issues surrounding our economy. Courage, in itself, is a virtue, and only a leader who appreciates the real essence of power can dare to confront the monumental missteps of the past and chart a new way forward.
“This is not to say that everything has become rosy, but if we take the issue of fuel subsidy removal as an example, we can appreciate that it has, to a large extent, addressed the problem of scarcity.The bold step taken by Mr. President to confront the scam in our monetary policy, especially regarding foreign exchange, has also helped to stabilize the market.
“I hope you will agree with me that the volatility in the exchange rate has been largely addressed, and the gap between the official and unofficial markets has substantially reduced. What is now left is to ensure that the naira is strengthened against other currencies.
“The Students’ Loan Scheme and other interventions by the Federal Government have received positive reviews and acceptability from Nigerians. I must add that several of these Federal Government initiatives align with the objectives of our own Gateway Front Foundation (GFF).
“In the last 25 years, we have positively impacted the lives of many citizens of Ogun State and beyond through GFF. I say, with all sense of responsibility, that we have a reputation for supporting hundreds of students throughout their educational careers, both in and out of government.
“Our interventions remain unparalleled, not only in Ogun State but across the country — with the establishment of about eight tertiary institutions in Ogun State during my tenure as Governor.At the last count, thousands of students have benefited from our scholarships in both secondary and tertiary institutions.
“In the build-up to the 2023 elections, and during our ward tours, we awarded over 1,000 bursaries across the nine Local Government Areas in Ogun East Senatorial District. This is in line with our Human Capital Development Programme (HUCAP), which we initiated while serving as Governor of Ogun State between 2003 and 2011.
“Under HUCAP, hundreds of Ogun State students were given scholarships to pursue higher degrees in universities abroad, and I proudly state that many of them have become highly successful professionals.In line with Mr. President’s agenda, we have supported over 5,000 petty traders, market women, unemployed youth, and artisans through our various interest-free microcredit schemes and empowerment training.”
