Dr OLU JALADE FOR ONDO STATE 2016/17
Monday, June 6, 2016
Monday, May 14, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Friday, July 22, 2011
DR OLU JALADE FOR ONDO STATE GOVERNOR 2016
Dr Oluwatosin Jalade is a Consultant to the World Bank, current CEO/Managing Director of The Iceberg Corporation and 2tec Computers. He is also the founder of The Bone Aid Foundation, a medical charity among others.
Dr Olu Jalade is the Aare ono Kankaofo of Yourba land, the Otunba of Ondo Town, hails from Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Dr Olu Jalade, is set to continue with his works and has fully pledged its allegiance to the people of Ondo State.
ONDO STATE
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Historical Development: Ondo State of Nigeria was one of the seven states created on 3rd February, 1976. It was carved out of the former Western State. The state covered the total area of the former Ondo Province, created in 1915 with Akure as the provincial headquarters.
Ondo State took off formally on 1st April, 1976, consisting of the nine administrative divisions of the former Western State (Ministry of Information and Culture, 1979). These nine divisions then were Akoko, Akure, Ekiti Central, Ekiti North, Ekiti South, Ekiti West, Okitipupa, Ondo and Owo.
Akure town ship was retained as the state headquarters. However, on 1st October, 1996, Ekiti State comprising Ekiti Central, Ekiti North, Ekiti South and Ekiti West Divisions was carved out of Ondo State. Hence, the present Ondo State is made up of Akoko, Akure, Okitipupa, Ondo and Owo Divisions. Akure remains the State capital.
Location: The state lies between latitudes 5°45' and 7°52'N and longitudes 4°20' and 6° 05'E. Its land area is about 15,500 square kilometers. Ondo State is bounded on the east by Edo and Delta states, on the west by Ogun and Osun States, on the
Down Town Akure
north by Ekiti and Kogi States and to the south by the Bight of Benin and the Atlantic Ocean.
Administrative Areas: The apex of the administrative structure is the state headquarters, Akure. Prior to the carving out of Ekiti State from Ondo State there were twenty-six Local Government Areas (LGAs). Fourteen of these remained in Ondo State, and from these, additional four LGAs were created.
As at now, there are eighteen LGAs in Ondo State. An important aspect of the administrative setup of Ondo State is the recognition of four subordinate area authorities. These are areas having some recognised autonomy within their LGAs.
Geology
There are two distinct geological regions in Ondo State. First, is the region of sedi mentary rocks in the south, and
Secondly, the region of PreCambrian Basement Complex rocks in the north. Some few kilometres north of Aaye occurs the basement complex sedimentary rocks boundary.
The sedimentary rocks are mainly of the postCretaceous sediments and the Cretaceous Abeokuta Formation. The basement complex is mainly of the medium grained gneisses. These are strongly foliated rocks frequently occurring as out crops. On the surface of these outcrops, severely contorted, alternating bands of dark and light coloured minerals can be seen.
These bands of light coloured minerals are essentially feldspar and quartz, while the darkcoloured bands contain abundant biotic mica. A small proportion of the state, especially to the northeast, overlies the coarse grained granites and gneisses, which are poor in dark ferromagnesian minerals (A. J. Smyth, 1962).
Relief and Drainage: Ondo State is composed of lowlands and rugged hills with granitic outcrops in several places. In general, the land rises from the coastal part of llaje/EseOdo (less than fifteen metres above sea level) in the south, to the rugged hills of the north eastern portion in Akoko area.
Some of the more prominent hills found at Idanre and Akoko rise above 250 metres above sea level. The geomorphological units of the creek and river ine areas include sand ridges, lagoons, swamp flats, creeks and the anatomising distributaries of the western Niger Delta. Numerous rivers flowing southwards to the Atlantic Ocean drain the state.
These rivers include the Owena, Oluwa, Oni, Ogbese and Ose. The most outstanding characteristics of the drainage systems over the areas of Basement Complex rocks is the proliferation of many small river channels. The channels of the smaller streams are dry for many months, especially from November to May.
The major rivers flow through sedimentary rocks in deeply incised valleys aligned in a northsouth direction, into the coastal lagoons. The lagoons flow in a westeast direction, parallel to the coast. Another aspect of the relief of Ondo State is the prevalence of many erosion gullies along hill slopes.
The gullies are very common and rather devastating in Owo and Akoko areas. Gullies also occur in areas of sedimentary rocks in Okitipupa and Araromi Rubber Estate. Along the Creeks, there are no sandy beaches since the entire area is swampy.
Climate: The climate of Ondo State is of the Lowland Tropical Rain Forest type, with distinct wet and dry seasons. In the south, the mean monthly temperature is 27°C, with a mean monthly range of 2°C, while mean relative humidity is over seventy five percent.
However, in the northern part of the state, the mean monthly temperature and its range are about 30°C and 6°C respectively. The mean monthly relative humidity is less than seventy percent. In the south, rain falls throughout the year, but the three months of November, December and January may be relatively dry.
The mean annual total rainfall exceeds 2000 millimetres. However, in the north, there is marked dry season from November to March when little or no rain falls. The total annual rainfall in the north, therefore, drops considerably to about 1800 millimetres.
Vegetation: The natural vegetation is the high forest, composed of many varieties of hardwood timber such as Melicia excelsa, Antaris africana, Terminalia superba, Lophira procera and Symphonia globulifera. In the northern districts, the vegetation consists of woody savanna featuring such tree species as Blighia sapida and Parkia biglobosa.
The swamp flats are the domain of the fresh water swamp forests in the interior and the units of mangrove vegetation near the coast. The sand ridges are characterised by savanna and stunted rain forests.
Over most of the state, the natural vegetation has been very much degraded as a result of human activities, the chief of which is based on the rotation of bush fallow system. As a result, the original forest is now restricted to forest reserves.
An important aspect of the vegetation of the state is the prevalence of tree crops. The major tree crops include cocoa, kola, coffee, rubber, oil palms and citrus, cocoa being the most prevalent.
It is also important to note that rubber and oil palms have been cultivated in large plantations in Odigbo, Okitipupa and Irele Local Government Areas. Trees that are not native, have also been intro duced as forest plantations. These exotics have been used to revegetate large portions of harvested old forest reserves in Omo and Owo. They include mainly Tectona grandis (teak) and Gmelina arborea (pulp wood).
Soil: The soils derived from the Basement complex rocks are mostly welldrained, with a medium texture. The soils, classified as Ondo Association, are of high agricultural value for both tree and arable crops. But to the northeast, is found a soil series under two Association. The soils here are skeletal in nature and are of comparatively recent origin.
In the southern part, the older sand ridge complexes develop brown and orange sandy soils, while the most recent ones near the coast have light grey sandy soils. The swamp flats are characterised by swampy organic and flooded organic soils, while the major part consists of decomposed and partly decomposed organic matter; whereas areas affected by tide bear saline soils. The latter soils are mostly useless for agricultural practices.
Ecological Problems: The creeks and the riverine areas of Ondo State are a region with ecological problems. Penetration of the area is hampered by mangrove swamps. In addition, the infestation of the creeks and water bodies in Ondo State by the hyacinth weed is probably the most menacing ecological problem in the state.
A lot has been done, though, to curb the menace of hyacinth weed thereby making the island waterways navigable by boats and trawlers. Another menacing ecological problem is the accelerated soil erosion. This is common in EfonAlaaye, Irele, Odigbo, Okitipupa and Owo LGAs.
PEOPLE, POPULATION AND RURAL URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Generally, the people have similar customs, traditions and language although there are some variations, most observable with the ljo. In the field of arts and culture, Ondo state is among the richest in the federation in the variety and quality of its traditional sculpture.
The people are lovers of arts, music (e.g. Obitun dancers), witty sayings and poetry. The ivory carv ings, bronze works and wood carvings from Owo are basically Yoruba sculptures; excavated at Egberen Street in the town in 1971, they showed the naturalist out of the classical lfe (Ministry of Information & Culture, 1976).
Population Structure and Distribution: Although the detailed analyses of the 1991 census are yet to be done, information already provided indicates that Ondo State has a total of 2,255,728 persons made up of 1,134,703 males and 1,121,025 females. The distribution of the population according to LGAs is given in Table 28.1.
The structure and distribution of population in Ondo State have been affected by high incidence of migration of Ondo people to other parts of the coun try. Ondo indigenes are found in various services and especially in education and civil service. Some are traders in many large cities of the federation, while in recent times, many industrialists have established plants in cities in Ondo State and other parts of the country.
It is also pertinent to observe that Ondo State harbours many migrant farmers from all the southwestern states and from Kwara, Kogi and Benue states. Most of these migrant farmers cultivate cocoa, while some serve as farm labourers.
Urban Development: Like in other Yoruba areas, the people of Ondo state live mainly in urban centres. Most of these urban centres are compact settlements each with a population of over 30,000 inhabitants. During the years of military administra tion, there were consistent effort to encourage urbanisation through the creation of more states and local government areas.
Other factors aiding urban development are the establishment of tertiary institutions such as Colleges of Education, Technical Colleges, Polytechnics and Universities, industrial plants such as glass factory and services whether financial or commercial. Some of the notable settlements are Akure, Ondo, Owo, lkare, Okitipupa, Idanre, lleOluji and Ore.
Rural Development: Ondo State is primarily an agricultural state and therefore has many rural centres. Prior to 1985, there had been a conspicu ous neglect of the rural areas of the State. However, since 1985, Ondo State has been a beneficiary of concerted programmes to revitalise, develop and transform rural areas.
The most important pro grammes in this regard were those implemented by DFRRI, Better Life Programme and the NDE, including the latter's SelfHelp Programme. The role of PTF in rural development between 1994 and 1999 must also be noted. Not only did DFRRI open up many rural areas in the State by constructing feeder roads (more than 1,230km in length) (Ministry of Information & Culture, 1992), it contributed immensely to the overall development and wellbeing of rural dwellers by sinking deep wells and boreholes in many villages and suburban areas.
In addition, DFRRI assisted communities in the electrification of their areas. In terms of economic development, DFRRI encouraged the rural dwellers to establish their own banks through the setting up Community Banks. Some of the banks are still found in many LGAs with many of the rural dwellers as shareholders.
The Better Life Programme focused on rural women, and these women actively involve in pro cessing local food and fibre items such as cassava (gari), maize, rice and sisalhemp for better prices. Several years after the programme ended, most of the eighteen LGAs of Ondo State still have one form of Better Life Programme or the other, e.g. oil palm processing in Irele still in existence. The NDE programme has helped in making available onthe job training to young school leavers (both second ary and tertiary) in modern farming, trades and industry.
The programme has also helped to open up the rural areas in all parts of the state. It is noteworthy to observe that the present civil ian administration in the State has rural development and rural integration as a major focus of its policies and has therefore created a ministry for the purpose.
Problem of Urban Primacy: Akure, the state capital, has expanded over a large area, as a result of many developmental processes. Hence, it has now grown to be a primate city which continues to attract people from the rural areas and smaller towns. This primacy has led to some problems. For example, the traditional area of Akure, now the attraction of low income earners and the unemployed, has deteriorated into slums, while in the CBD, traffic holdup is a common phenomenon
SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Education: Among the states of the Federation, Ondo State is one of
those with the largest number of public primary and secondary schools. There are over 880 public primary schools and over 190 pub lic secondary schools spread all over the state. There are five other state unity secondary schools and two Federal unity secondary schools at Akure and Idoani. There are also several private nursery and primary schools in many towns.
For example, Akure township alone has more than sixty of these schools. Secondary education is also in the hands of private individuals, agencies and organisations especially in Akure, Ondo, Owo and lkare. There are also Continuing Education Centres for Senior Secondary Certificate (SSC) Examinations in all major towns of the state. It is heartening that the products of these secondary schools are well pro vided for, as many tertiary institutions have been established to cater for them as shown in Table 28.3.
Healthcare Delivery: Various categories of health and medical facilities
exist in the state belonging to governments, religious organisations and private individuals. Once, there used to be free medical services for all people below the age of eighteen years. However, the present administra tion in the state has promised free medical care for
I There is a Federal Medical Centre at Owo. The state government has specialist hospitals at Akure, i lkare and Ondo while it has established general . hospitals at Idanre, lgbaraOke, lleOluji and f Okitipupa. There is a government psychiatric house at Akure. Besides, there are several private I fullfledged hospitals especially in Akure, Ondo, E Owo, lkare and Okitipupa; and in other Local government headquarters and other towns.
Next in the category of hospitals are the primary health centres with consulting medical doctors. There are over fif i teen of such, including mobile ones for the riverine areas of the state. LGAs operate dispensaries and maternity homes in all towns and many villages.
Mass Media: In order to disseminate informa 3 tion and to provide entertainment, the state has the Radiovision Corporation with the Radio Complex at Oballe near Akure and the Television House at OritaObele, Akure.
Besides the Government Press at the Ministry of Information, there is a government owned publishing company which publishes a daily newspaper, Owens News. The state is also a mmajor partner of the Daily Sketch Organisation. Furthermore, most newspapers and weekly maga zines have distribution centres and agencies in all the towns of the state.
Water Supply and Electrification Projects: The marked improvement in
the provision of potable water and electricity in the state has to do with the activities of Ondo State Water Corporation, the establishment of DFRRI and, in recent times, PTF. These establishments have, at various times, all been actively involved in the provision of these amenities.
Today, all major urban centres and towns have potable water. Many villages
have benefited ~ from over twentyfive water schemes operated by 5 Ondo State Water Corporation. For instance, the ' little Ose River Water Supply Project serves not less than sixtysix towns and villages in Akoko and '' Owo areas and part of Ekiti State. Borehole ' schemes have been established in many towns including Owo, Odelrele, llutitun, Okeluse and Ute s (Ondo State Water Corporation, 1988).
The State government continues to execute its r various phases of electrification.
Programmes for towns and villages.
Indeed, a lot of improvement has been made in the electrification of major streets in urban centres while rural areas still attract a lot of attention.
Banking and other Financial Institutions: Banking and other financial
services are now available in many communities in the state as a result of the efforts of the federal and state governments, and private organisations and individuals. The national rural banking policy, the establishment of " the People's Bank of Nigeria and the Community Banks have helped to bring banking services to many settlements in the state.
Furthermore, the state Government went into banking business with a foreign partner in 1982 and established the Owena Bank PLC with its headquarters in Akure and with branches in most LGA headquarters of Ondo and Ekiti States, and in other cities such as Lagos, lbadan, Abeokuta, Kaduna, Osogbo and PortHarcourt. Other financial institutions include Finance Houses for loans and mortgage, Insurance Companies and Brokers, and a government owned Pools Betting and Lotteries Agency (Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning, 1982).
Transport and Communications: At the inception of Ondo state in 1976,
it was maintaining a total of 1,868km of roads. By 1980, the total length reached 3,093km and, by 1992, it was over 5,970km. In the present Ondo State and with the activities of PTF and World Bank Assisted Road Projects, many more roads have been constructed, while many rural areas now have access routes.
The most significant aspect of road development in Ondo state is their quality, as most roads have been taken over and tarred by the Federal Government e.g. Akure, Owo, lkare, Akure, Ondo et cetera. The state is also involved in constructing all weather roads. Local Governments have also shown keen interest in tarring both township and intersettle ment routes within their jurisdiction. As stated ear lier, the contributions of DFRRI, PTF and the World Bank in the opening up of rural areas and the reha bilitation of existing roads, are substantial.
If all these are added together, the total length of roads in Ondo State at present approaches 4,950km. Ondo State, as a beneficiary of the nationwide Mass Transit Programme, launched its Owena Mass Transit scheme for both intra and interstate commuters. This programme has gone a long way to solve transportation problems in the state.
It is noteworthy that most LGAs have started operating their own Mass Transit schemes, for both intra and interstate transportation. There is an airport at Akure, which is yet to be operational. When operational, it will serve as a quick link between the state and other parts of the country. The state's NIPOST headquarters is at Akure, while Zonal offices are at Ondo, Okitipupa, Owo and lkare. By 1991, NITEL had connected seven settlements with telephone services.
These are Akure, Idoani, lfon, lkare, Okitipupa, Ondo and Owo.
Tourism and Recreation: A variety of tourist attractions abound in
the state. Among the leading spots are the historic Idanre Hills with guest houses built by the government. Others are Ayetoro Community of Holy Apostles, the Owo Museum of Antiquities, Oke Maria at OkaAkoko, Ebomi Lake at IpesiAkoko and lho Eleru at Isarun.
The state government, as far back, as 1988 commenced beautification projects in the major towns of the state. These projects are intended to brighten the dull outlook of the environment. The projects, include the erection of historic and cultural statutes, water fountains, planting of ornamental flowers and recreation parks.
All these have pro vided the necessary aesthetic attractions for tourists
visiting the state. Hotel services are readily available in major towns and in most of the LGA headquarters. The state owns a hotel, Owena Motels Ltd.,located at Akure.
NATURAL RESOURCES AND POTENTIALS FOR DEVELOPMENT
Nature has endowed Ondo State with a lot of resources. Most of these resources have been profitably tapped, while others need be developed.
Agriculture, Forestry and Other Basic Activities: Agriculture is the dominant occupation of the people of Ondo State providing income and employment opportunities for over seventy percent of the population. It also contributes well over sev entyfive per cent to the state's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The main revenueyielding crops are cocoa, palm produce and timber. In fact, Ondo region is now the core of the Nigerian cocoa belt accounting for well over sixty per cent of Nigeria's annual output. In order to make cocoa contribute more to the economic viability of the state, a Cocoa Products Company Ltd. has been established in lle Oluji. Indeed, in 1988, as a result of the economic policies of the Babangida administration, cocoa farmers and traders had a field day in cocoa busi ness as they became very rich because cocoa prices were subject to market forces.
This "SAP Cocoa Boom" raised the incomes, the living stan dard and status of most inhabitants of Ondo State to an unprecedented level. The boom caused many abandoned old cocoa farms to be resuscitat ed thereby increasing the production level. Unfortunately, the boom was shortlived as predict ed by money market watchers, economists and agricultural experts.
The latter notwithstanding, cocoa is still the main economic crop of Ondo State on which both the people and government depend. Next to cocoa is palm produce. The state has very large oil palm plantations at Okitipupa, Ode Irele and AraromiObu. Other tree crops include kola, rubber, coffee, oilpalm and exotics.
The government has been involved in the establishment of extensive planta tions in respect of oil palm, rubber and exotics especially Tectona grandis and Gmelina arborea. Arable crops are cultivated mostly in the north ern part of the state. These crops include rice, cas sava, maize, yam, pepper, beans, tomatoes and a host of other vegetables. The activities of the Ondo state Agricultural Development Project and the Benin/Owena River Basin and Rural Development Authority, in enhancino arable crooDina in the state.are commendable.
Ondo State is one of the most important timber producing states in Nigeria. Some of the hardwood species are Iroko, mahogany, Obeche and sapele wood. Timber has encouraged the establishment of sawmilling industries which litter every nook and comer of the state. NigeriaRomania Wood Industry (NIROWI) located in Ondo is the largest wood industry.
Mineral Resources: Ondo State has become a member of the Nigerian oilproducing states as petroleum is now extracted offshore (Ministry of Information & Culture, 1989). Other minerals avail able include tar sand (bitumen), especially in Okitipupa and Irele LGAs; kaolin clay in lle01uji Okelgbo, Ondo and Odigbo LGAs; iron ore in lfedore, Akure, Idanre, Odigbo and Akoko North East, Akoko North West, Akoko South East and Akoko South West LGAs; granite in Idanre and lle Oluji/Okelgbo LGAs; and quartz sands at llaje, Okitipupa and Ese Odo LGAs. Furthermore, there are other minerals, such as coal, columbite, tin and marble, many of which are at different stages of prospecting, extracting and development. Ondo state has a coast with great potentials for fishing industry.
In fact, the creeks and coastlands of the state are now recognised for their richness in prawns and lobsters. In fact, it has just been dis covered that Ondo has reserve for stock fish. This resource calls for better development. The inland river systems and lakes also offer development potentialities, even though, they have been har nessed for domestic and agricultural purposes.
Industrial Potentialities: Industrialisation is rapidly taking place in the state. At present, the major industrial ventures include the Okitipupa Oil Palm Mill Pie at Okitipupa, NIROWI at Ondo, Cocoa Products Company Ltd. at lleOluji and Oluwa znGlass Company Pie at lgbokoda. Others include the Nigerianltalian Ceramics Factory at lfon, Alpha Paper Industries at ArigidiAkoko, Ondo State Asphalt Company at Aponmu, AraromiAyesan Oil Palm Pie at AraromiObu and Foam Industry at Akure, to mention but a few.
A survey has shown that the number of private establishments employ ing more than five people and above is on the increase. While in 1980, the number of the latter was about 960, by 1992, the number was more than 2,830, with Akure having over 950. By September 1999, it is estimated to have grown to over 3,500, with Akure having over 2,000.
Local Sourcing of Raw Materials: Many small and largescale industrial concerns now depend almost entirely on local raw materials.
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE
Economic Climate: The economic climate of Ondo State has been boosted by the inauguration of the boards of seven OASIS Companies in the state on 10th June 1989. These companies were established to serve as agricultural processing units that will attract prospective investors to use processed products for their industrial ventures.
The intention of the government was to enhance agroindustrial development in the state based on the available major food crops and kaolin at Ishan thereby laying a solid foundation for rural develop ment. To further attract investors, the state govern ment has established industrial estates in Akure, the state capital. Another attraction to investors is the location of a branch of the Nigerian Industrial and Development Bank (NIDB) in Akure.
There is also a Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in the state. There is no doubt therefore, that the industrial potentialities in Ondo State are limitless considering the myriad of its agricultural, forest, mineral and water resources that call for development. The first index of a bright future for the state is the availability, in large quantities, of tar sand (bitu men). The exploration of this mineral is at an advanced stage.
The next stage is the exploitation. With all the necessary structures already set up, the exploitation will soon start. Going by the nature of petrochemicals, this mineral will bring about estab lishment of allied industries and manufacturing plants. The latter will attract both local and foreign investors.
Besides, many other services will be attracted to the area of operation. In short, the mul tiplier effect of this mineral in the realms of human, education, healthcare, financial, actuarial and environmental services etc. will be of immense development for the state.
Indeed, through this mineral, the Ondo State aovernment's revenue will increase astronomically bearing in mind the thirteen per cent derivation for mineral producing states. The money realised will be available for developmental purposes. A new product calling for good management is stock fish recently discovered in Odelrele area.
Availability of Manpower: The Federal Government, with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as the President, has launched the
Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme for the country, as contained in the People's Democratic Party's mani festo, to provide compulsory and free up to the Junior Secondary School throughout the country. In retrospect, the Ondo State government controlled by the Alliance for Democracy, also had free edu cation programme in its manifesto.
The implication of this is that the state government should have more money, not only on its education programme, but also for other areas of development in the state. In this respect, the tertiary institutions should attract the needed financial assistance to make them what they should be. Also, the state govern ment's announcement that it would have its own state university functioning soon is very timely. A state College of Education is also desirable.
Priority Investment Areas: Areas of great potentialities in Ondo State, include agriculture, forestry and tourism. Indeed, forestry offers a lot of investment opportunities in the state. Exotic species such as teak {Tectona grandis) and pulp wood {Gmelina arborea) are now cultivated in many places.
Other forestry products like twines, canes are common along rivers and are being used for weaving hats, bags and rope making. Since the state government has the intention to focus attention on rural integration and development, it is envisaged that more roads will be constructed and many rehabilitated.
It is also hoped that infrastructure such as potable water, electricity and other social amenities will be provided in rural areas under this programme. Furthermore, it is expected that agrobased industries will spring up in the rural areas of the state which will take advan tage of the large plantations of tree crops and large scale arable farms in the wooded savannah areas of the northern part of the state, especially in Akoko area.
Forestry should also attract the attention of the government. If the government could invest on this, it will yield a big dividend so that before long, the state will be able to provide timber for its countless sawmills and still be in a position to export same. Many investment opportunities on tourism and recreation exist, particularly, the coastal sceneries as well as the presence of numerous lagoons and the forest reserves. For example, the forest reserves could be developed as Games Reserves while a relaxation centre could be built for weekend retreats and leisure along the creeks.
ONDO 2016: OLU nii joo, Jalade nii Jare, Ondo O ni Baje !!!
Olu Jalade campaign team 2016.
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