By Adeyinka Adeniran
Manufacturers and private companies in Oluyole Local Government have been tasked to collaborate with the Council to expand the economy of their host community and secure their investments as well as the lives and properties of the people.
The stakeholders including officials of the Oyo state government, experts across different fields among others gave this advice on Wednesday, at the maiden edition of the Oluyole Economy & Security Summit 2024, with the theme: ‘Expanding Grassroots Economy, Enhancing Community-Based Security.’
Some of the stakeholders, who participated at the summit held at Oluyole Local Government Secretariat, Idi-Ayunre, included the Commissioner for Environment and chairman of the summit; Hon. Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola; Special Adviser on Security to Governor ‘Seyi Makinde and Chairman of the Oyo State Security Trust Fund, Compol Fatai Owoseni (rtd); Executive Assistant on Security to Governor Makinde; Compol Sunday Odukoya (rtd); and Chairman of the Oyo State Board of Internal Revenue, Mr Femi Awakan.
Others were the Director-General of the Oyo State Mineral Development Agency, Mr Abiodun Oni; Chairman Oyo State Education Trust Fund; Barr. Abdulraheem Abdulrahman; Mr Sunday Aboriomoh and the Alayunre of Idi Ayunre, Oba Muritala Olumini, who represented traditional rulers and leaders.
The stakeholders indicated that an effective collaboration and cooperation between private firms as well as their commitment to corporate social responsibility are indispensable to achieving economic expansion and improved community-based security.
Speaking at the event, the executive chairman of Oluyole Local Government, Akeem Olatunji, maintained that the summit was organised because the council desired that companies and industries in the local government would be on the same page with the government, for the betterment of the people.
He added that the summit was put together to chart a different path from what the council used to experience in terms of revenue generation, corporate social responsibility, gainful employment for youths in the council and service delivery to the people.
“We want companies, industries to be on the same page with the local government for the betterment of our people in terms of CSR and IGR for the local government.
“You know that the issue of security and economy go hand in hand and there can’t be economic prosperity where there is insecurity. Security is local and we can only do this to complement the efforts of the state government to achieve a good result,” Olatunji said.
In his keynote speech, chairman, Oyo State Board of Internal Revenue, Awakan, highlighted the causes and implications of the current economic downturn in the country and suggested strategic ways of addressing these challenges to improve the economy at the grassroots.
He submitted that economic reform as being championed at the grassroots by the local government chairman was crucial for enhancing the performance of any economy, and therefore, called for careful planning in policy formulation, programme design, and project execution.
The event, which also featured a panel discussion, had experts exploring strategies for promoting collaboration between firms and stakeholders towards the actualisation of the economic expansion agenda of the government and the security of the people.
Speaking on the enhancement of community-based security, Compol Owoseni (rtd) lauded Governor Makinde’s administration for recording unprecedented achievements in the security sector, urging the members of the public to also play their part by providing timely and accurate information using dedicated security channels such as the 615 Code, for swift crime prevention.
He equally commended security agencies in the state for their cooperation and their gallantry in providing improved security.
Owoseni, who noted that Oluyole Local Government should be the richest local government if things were done rightly by corporate entities in the area, faulted the establishments for not exploring the option of cooperation and collaboration, calling on them to turn a new leaf.
Also speaking on community-based security, the Executive Assistant on Security Matters, Odukoya, said Governor Makinde’s unprecedented investments on security have been yielding the desired results with less incidence of kidnapping and other major crimes in the state.
He commended the council chairman for his foresight in organising such an economic and security summit, calling on stakeholders to deepen cooperation in order to engender sustainable development in the local government.
In his submission, the DG Operation Burst, Colonel James Ajibola, who was represented by Dr Oyinlola, described the council chairman as a humanist who combines elitist and local approach to public administration.
Also speaking, the Director General, Oyo State Mineral Resource Development Agency, Okunrinjeje Abiodun Oni lauded the chairman for organising such summit, urging other local governments to emulate such efforts “as it aligns with the vision of Governor Seyi Makinde under his sustainable development agenda particularly for grassroots development.”
Oni described the summit as timely and strategic, while urging the council chairman to dedicate another time towards comprehensively addressing issues bothering on mineral resources and mining activities in the council.
He assured that his agency was fully ready to deepen collaboration with Oluyole Local Government in its economic expansion drive to ensure a ‘win-win’ situation for all stakeholders.
Other stakeholders, who spoke at the event, lamented the dearth of corporate social responsibility from private firms operating in Oluyole Local Government, calling on the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to lead the charge by ensuring its members wake up to their responsibilities in order for their host community to experience economic emancipation and grassroots development.
In his contributions, the Operations Counsel for British American Tobacco (BAT), who came to represent the multinational outfit, lauded Engr. Olatunji for organising the summit, noting that he would take the resolutions of the gathering to the BAT management while also ensuring that their charity subsidiary (BAT Foundation) gets intimated with the need to execute some CSR projects and partnership with the council.
At the end of the summit, a communique was issued where stakeholders unanimously commended the quality of the maiden Economy and Security Summit aimed at deepening the economic and social integration process, while consolidating political and overall stability, peace and security in the council and Oyo State.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the event, Olatunji lauded Governor Makinde for transforming the economy of Oyo State through his investments on security and infrastructure.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that the Governor Makinde-led administration has provided unprecedented security logistics, which include vehicles, communication gadgets, and other support to our security agencies towards enhancing adequate security and these have culminated into the safe and business-friendly environment that we have in Oyo State.
“He has also made the whole of Oyo state a construction site through aggressive infrastructure development drive.”
