Osun 2022: My Vision is to Build an Economically Sustainable State -Ogunbiyi

Dr Akin Ogunbiyi,Founder and Group Chairman of Mutual Benefits Assurance PLC,is the  governorship  candidate of Accord Party in Osun State.

In this encounter with journalists in Osogbo,the Osun State capital, Ogunbiyi ,who described him as a venturer, unveils and throws more insights into his vision for Osun State if elected governor in the July 16,2022 polls.

Osun State which was created on August 27,1991,presents a puzzling paradox in its over  30 years existence since it was curved out of Oyo State.

Though  blessed with huge human and material resources in terms of  arable farmland covering over 9000 kilometres, mineral deposits,tourist sites,aquatic habitat,among others,yet  Osun State remains in the backwater of underdevelopment.

For instance,the state ranks third in the list of most indebted states in Nigeria, with over N200billion debt overhang; receives a lean N1.7billion monthly allocation from the Federation Account (due to deductions)and generates a lowly N13 billion monthly revenue.

The resultant effect of the state's  huge debt burden and low revenue generation is that, successive administrations struggle to meet only their recurrent expenditures with very little funds left  for capital projects.

With very few  viable  capital projects which come in form of future  investments,Osun State is, today, the state  of low productivity,un employment and poverty.

It is the patriotic bid  to  change this sad narrative  of economic downturn  in Osun State,that has propelled Dr Akin Ogunbiyi,an accomplished technocrat,entreprenuer and founder of Mutual Benefits Assurance PLC, to throw  his hat in the political ring as the governorship candidate of Accord Party, in the July 16 ,2022 election.

Ogunbiyi who began his electioneering campaign  after his inauguration  in Osogbo in April 2022, has now intensified  his meet- the- people -campaign  across the state.

And anywhere he visited ,Ogunbiyi echoed  the message of hope, assurance and his  conviction of value added leadership he intends to rigorously pursue  if elected governor.

Ogunbiyi has also been consistent in amplifying that, he won't be a governor who will not add value in terms of enhanced productivity  and empowerment; that  he will re-engineer the economy to becomemore viable and  buoyant,a far cry from its  present comatose state.

He said  that as an entrepreneur of repute who has nurtured  the Mutual Benefits Assurance PLC into a  conglomerate in past 25 years,spanning  insurance,real estate, banking, oil & gas, agriculture, manufacturing, etc, he was ready to replicate that same feat in Osun State.

The  lle-Ogbo born and Obafemi Awolowo University ,lle-Ife graduate of Agricultural Economics who described himself as ''a venturer who is always looking for opportunities to create and deliver value",believes that he will approach leadership from an entrepreneurial and revenue -generating  mindset,and not just to  sit down and depend solely on monthly  federal allocation.

He affirms:"We must strive to end Osun State economy rallying  around three services:civil servants,teachers and peasant farmers."

Ogunbiyi who has unveiled his blueprint, promised to work in tandem with his  Accord Party's philosophy and manifesto, which is  anchored on "corporatism, popularism and capitalism."

He told journalists:" if elected governor, l will first and foremost, work to guarantee security of lives and property in the state.Since security is the main purpose of government,we will rejig the security architecture in the state to ensure better results.

Ogunbiyi stresses :"I am a transformational leader and l intend to replicate  this in Osun State.By this ,l mean, l will pursue a policy of functional education and health care.

Greater emphasis will be laid on education and health care services, because the two remain the bedrock of sustainable human development.

"We will invest on these two sectors to ensure sound minds,healthy and wealthy citizenry.

We will also  create jobs for our teeming but now largely  idle youths.We will also do this by creating an enabling environment to will Osun State an investment-friendly state.

If elected governor, l  will  also initiate and sustain  an agricultural revolution in the state ,by utilising our vast arable land, not only to attain food security,but to generate huge revenue from the sector.",he added.

We  will make soft loans available for small scale farmers to produce food and crop crops,and by so doing ,provide jobs for  many Osun youths"

Ogunbiyi who harped on his resolve to tame rural-urban migration,promised to pursue massive infrastructural development in the rural areas and concentrate his envisioned agricultural revolution among the rural populace."

He continued :"we will unleash our energies and resources to boost industrialisation in the state,by maximizing the benefits of our vast mineral resources-gold,kaoline,lron ore,Talc,columbite,etc. located in different parts of the state.

We will intensify the mining of these deposits at a commercial level that will be  beneficial to the state.We won't play politics with such revenue -yielding ventures or enter into deals that will short change the state.

We will also assist artisans,women groups and youths through skill acquisition and soft loans to enable be self sustaining and become employers of labour."

The governorship candidate further shed  more lights  on his intended  programmes in the tourism sector,saying:"Osun State is one huge tourist site ,and such centres include ,Osogbo grove,ljesha waterfall,Erin  annual Olojo festival in lle-lfe,among others.

We  will also pursue our  tourism sector development by upgrading facilities at such sites and ensuring more private partnership,aimed at boosting revenue."

On how his campaign message of  a new dawn  is being   received by the teeming Osun State's voters,the frontline governorship candidate added:" my message of a new dawn is sinking into the consciousness of our people. Moreover,lam a house hold name in Osun State and beyond.Apart of Mutual Benefits Assurance, which has become a global brand,my instituted  Aribiewe Foundation has continued to touch many lives across the state.

The Foundation has assisted many people,families  and communities.

It has also  awarded scholarship to over one  hundred students in secondary and tertiary institutions, in Nigeria and abroad.

Many Osun indigenes see my philanthropic gestures as a selling point for my candidacy;they also believe that lam one who is keen on offering selfless service to Osun State

"The people's perception of me is evident given the fact that, everywhere l go , there is always a mammoth crowd and  widespread excitement,  which is visibly expressed by the warmth  reception l receive,be it  in palaces or campaign grounds.

The people's message is clear: They are in dire and urgent  need for  a new leadership in the state."he affirmed.

To  collaborate Ogunbiyi's position,a middle-aged civil servant in lfe who simply identified himself as Adefemi,said:" l believe Dr. Ade Ogunbiyi is the man to beat in the forecoming Osun State  governorship election,he is a man,to me who has a clear vision of where he wants Osun State to be in the next year's;he equally understand what purposeful leadership is all about.He is every inch prepared for the job;he is different from all others who don't have a clear vision of what they want to do.

Even the huge crowd that fill his campaign grounds,the talks around the state, that is the most prepared and equipped for the governorship job,all show he is most suited for the position.

Ogunbiyi is unlike others who just  want power first before thinking of  what to do.H e is already set to hit the ground running once elected ."

June 10, 2022