By Adekola Afolabi
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The 2019 budget proposal presented to the Ondo State House of Assembly by the governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN),  would further take the state to an enviable level in all ramifications.

A mathematician and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC)  in the state, Chief Dapo Filani, who disclosed this yesterday in an interview with The Hope, explained that the N190b budget, captured necessary areas in terms of socioeconomic, education and infrastructural development, employment creation ,among others.

He particularly applauded the Governor for his unwavering commitment to bitumen exploration, calling him Mr Bitumen.

According to him, the governor should be specially commended for the laudable feat, noting that by the time the project begins full operation, thousands of jobs would be created for the people of the state, especially the youth, while the economy would also be greatly improved.

The former chairman of Ondo State Water Corporation was also quick to commend the governor for his various giant strides aimed at industrialising the state and make it a cynosure of all eyes.

He expressed optimism that with the commendable way the governor is steering the affairs of the state, it would be richer than Lagos State in the next few years.

“Instead of calling him Arakunrin Akeredolu, I will prefer to call him Mr Bitumen because he has been able to ship the equipment in now. He has started putting structures in place.  The project will boost employment generation and the economy of the state.

“Also, look at the Seaport at Araromi which is under construction now. There is another project going on in Ore and there is an industrial village there where the governor has invested so much money. I saw a very big generator there with industrial materials. All these show the governor has a good vision”.

“By the time the bitumen exploration starts, Ondo State will be richer than Lagos State in the next six years. Bitumen is costlier than oil and to produce bitumen is cheaper than oil. Already the governor has provided a place in Araromi Seaside for the bitumen production. Therefore, there would be more profit for the state. Jobs would be created and our economy will improve greatly”, he stated.

The APC chieftain equally gave kudos to Akeredolu for his sterling achievements in the year 2018, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, education, health, job creation, empowerment, workers’ welfare through regular payment of salaries and allowances including seven months salary and pension arrears inherited from the immediate past administration.

“Road projects are ongoing across the state including obscure areas. Look at the dual carriageways going on at the state High Court and Ijoka to Idanre, even in Ehin Okuta in Oke-Aro area, Agagu road and many other projects. Flyover in Ore is part of it and several others like that”, Filani added.

While emphasising that the governor has brought equality to primary school in the state through renovation and building of schools across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state, the APC chieftain described the governor as a silent achiever.

He pointed out that with the various good projects and programmes of the government as contained in the year 2019 budget, unemployment rate would further reduce drastically while the economy of the state would also improve tremendously.

He equally lauded Gov Akeredolu for his quick intervention in the criminal acts being perpetrated by some unidentified kidnappers along Akure -Owo – Ikare expressway, saying government’s quick response by putting in place joint security personnel has saved the situation.

He encouraged youths in the state to also take advantage of various windows of opportunity opened to them by the government and be creative and ready to be employers of labour through agriculture and entrepreneurship programme.