Youth Assembly official urges Makinde to look into issues affecting citizens
By Oluwaseyi Oduneye-Ogunwomoju
Adeola Adelabu, Speaker of Oyo State Chapter of Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN), has urged Gov. Seyi Makinde to look into emerging real estate and land acquisition issues in the state.
Adelabu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Wednesday that, if not carefully examined, those issues might eventually not bode well for the state.
“These issues border on the demolition of structures obstructing projects, the fairness of compensation and allowances paid to affected property owners, and transparency in communication and citizen engagement, which are very crucial.
”There is also the need for better community involvement in development projects to promote trust between the government and the people,” he said.
Adelabu said while the Ibadan Circular Road was meant to enhance connectivity and boost economic activities, there have been concerns over how the land acquisition process was handled.
The Oyo State YAN Speaker also said that appraising agriculture and food security were very pivotal.
“The state government needs to invest more in agriculture value chains, especially at the production level.
“There are concerns about rising food prices and the threat to food security, particularly due to climate change, poor infrastructure and insufficient support for farmers.
“A bottom-up approach is recommended, where local farmers are empowered with resources, training and access to markets.
“The government should prioritise policies that
promote food sustainability, thus encouraging the state to reserve a percentage of staple food for local consumption and improve value-added services in agriculture,” he said.
Adelabu said tourism in the state was also in dire straits, asking sarcastically if it was a carcass or phoenix.
“For instance, an expanse of land earlier planned to host a media city was converted to Lere Adigun Estate, which is a setback to the film and media industry and the huge benefits the state would have derived from such project.
“Agodi Gardens and Trans Amusement Park, previously key tourist destinations, were similarly re-purposed for real estate development.
“The loss of these cultural and recreational spaces is lamentable, and such decisions negatively affect the social well-being of the citizens and reduce the state’s tourism potential.
“The consensus was that the government should preserve natural and cultural heritage sites and promote tourism as a key driver of economic growth,” he said.
On the issue of local government autonomy, Adelabu said it was his opinion that the resistance in some quarters was not in good faith.
“ The idea of local government autonomy is a way to
decentralise power and improve governance at the grassroots level.
“In the global model of federalism, which often excludes local governments as independent federating units, there’s need for a balance.
”This balance must be between granting local governments more authority while ensuring that they operate under a framework that maintains accountability and alignment with state policies.
“This must be complimented by the introduction of e-governance to streamline local government operations, making the approval process for funds more efficient and reducing risks associated with physical document handling,” he said.
