The nine towns under Oro Kingdom in Irepodun local government of Kwara State have commended the State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed for implementing developmental projects and programmes in the kingdom.
The National President of Oro Descendants Union (ODU), Alhaji Tunji Balogun gave the commendation when he led other executive members of the union on a courtesy visit to the governor on Monday.
Balogun lauded Governor Ahmed for granting their request for upgrading the Kwara State College of Education, Oro, to a degree-awarding institution. He also mentioned the construction of Oloro palace road, Okerimi road, Police Station to Ijomu-oro road, among other projects and programmes implemented by the state government in Oro.
While thanking the governor for all these projects, the union requested among others for the upgrading of the stool of Oloro of Oro to a first class status, government's intervention on connecting roads within Oro kingdom, supply of transformers, urgent rehabilitation of Oro General Hospital and improvement in water situation in Oro.
Responding, Governor Ahmed thanked them for the visit and for acknowledging his administration's developmental projects and programmes. He stressed that the State government had outlined more projects for the kingdom and other parts of the State, but that their execution has been affected by the current financial situation occasioned by dwindling allocation.
Alhaji Ahmed noted that this led the government to reform its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) collection system and the subsequent introduction of Kwara Infrastructure Development Fund (IF-K), which according to him, is enabling the government to implement projects on a gradual basis.
The governor disclosed that Oro General Hospital is among health facilities scheduled for complete overhaul in the State's 2018 budget, and that the government is currently in the process of acquiring electricity transformers for installation in different parts of the State. He added that the government is also working on improving water situation in different parts of the State including Oro Kingdom.
Speaking further, Governor Ahmed said that rural roads in Oro are among several roads highlighted for rehabilitation under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), which he said will commence in September, 2018.
The governor also pledged that the union's request for the elevation of Oloro of Oro to a first class monarch will be granted before the end of his administration.
On his recent defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Ahmed emphasized that his action was informed by the need to ensure greater patronage for Kwara State and its people at the national level and was not driven by personal consideration.
