Agriculture: Oyo ADC gov candidate, Adegoke to construct rail line from Moniya to Saki
BY STEPHEN GBADAMOSI
As part of measure for easy transportation of farm produce from Oke-Ogun to Ibadan and other parts of the South-West geopolitcal zone, the Oyo State gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke (FCA), has pledged to build a rail line from Moniya in Ibadan to Saki in the Oke-Ogun area of the state.
Olooye Adegoke made this known on Wednesday while answering questions from panelists on Arise News Television Morning Show Programme in Lagos.
According to a statement by Adegoke Campaign Media Team on Thursday, the rail line from Moniya to Saki in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State would ensure easy transportation of farm produce from the Oke-Ogun area to the market in Ibadan, the state capital, and other South Western states.
When asked about the likely cost of the 100-kilometre rail line, Olooye Adegoke said a standard single gauge rail line he wanted to build would be circa US$3 million per kilometre. The US$3 million is per kilometre of a single gauge rail line and not for the entire project.
A standard double gauge rail line, he said, is circa US$6 million per kilometre.
According to the statement “I am going to build a standard single gauge rail line at circa US$3 million per kilometre for economic viability and feasibility; we don’t need a standard double gauge rail line which costs circa US$6 million to US$6.9 million per kilometer.
“It will be in three phases of Moniya to Iseyin, Iseyin to Okeho, and Okeho to Saki. Projects like these attract development partners and agencies.
“So, the entire burden will not be on the Oyo State government alone. Similar thing is being done with the ongoing Muritala Mohammed International Airport reconstruction in Lagos.”
He said the rail line project became necessary and would be a top priority of his government, because Oke-Ogun stood as the food basket of Oyo State, noting that easy transportation of farm produce from the area to the market would be a win-win situation for farmers and the urban populace in Ibadan and other states who were the major consumers.
Olooye Adegoke, who said he studied Agricultural Economics at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in Osun State before becoming a Chartered Accountant, noted that he would do everything to assist the farmers in the state when he assumed power in 2027.
Speaking on his economic blueprint, the ADC governorship candidate stated that they were embedded in his political slogan, SOLUTIONS 2027, which comprised of security of lives and properties, organic development of agriculture, let there be jobs, urban renewal of major cities, turning around of the health and education sectors, industrial revolutions and infrastructure development, on the job training for teachers and special schemes/status for them, new technologies deployment in every area of government businesses, in addition to socio-economic development.
Adegoke also said his contract policy would be based on local content policy where contractors from Oyo State would be given priority, rather than bringing consultants from outside the state.
Speaking on his candidature, Adegoke maintained that he was the best among the three popular parties’ candidates, the ADC, Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) without any blemishes, noting that the APM candidate was an extension of the current government, “going by their slogan of Omituntun 3.0, while the issue of god fatherism is hanging on the neck of the APC candidate.”
According to him, “out of the three popular candidates of the three major parties the APM, APC and ADC, I’m the beautiful bride, not tainted with any God father, but God Almighty is my father.”
