Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun says the state government will employ an additional 75,000 youths for the State Anchor Programme Scheme being supported by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Abiodun made this known to State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.
According to him, the state government has already employed 14,000 people when the scheme was inaugurated, saying the CBN has made Ogun the model for the South West.
“We also came to discuss with the President what we are doing in agriculture and the support that we need for that. We have gotten enough support today, we have attributed it to the President food security programme.
“We have launched the Anchor Programme Scheme, today the CBN has made Ogun State the model state for the South West, we have employed about 14,000 people last eight month in that programme between now and end of the year we hope to employ another 50,000 to 75,000 in that programme.
“You will agree with me that each person is about three other people by multiplying effect.
“So, we have come to solicit for support of the President with further needed support of the CBN and the federal government in the agricultural programme.
“These are the things that we came to discuss with Mr President and I am glad to say that we got a lot of attention; we got a lot of support and that we should be seeing that manifest in the next few weeks,’’ he added.
The governor further disclosed that he requested for the transfer of Shagamu to Ikorodu road to Lagos and Ogun state governments for proper maintenance.
He said the call had become imperative in view of the socio-economic viability of the road, saying “it is in that road that we have the biggest NNPC depot.”
“There are so many factories on that road and most of these factories have gone moribund.
“Trucks drivers are also refusing to go and load on that road. If that road is transfer to both Lagos and Ogun state, we will commercialize it we will have these road rehabilitated, constructed and upgraded.’’
Abiodun revealed that already the two States had secured the necessary financial support for the reconstruction of the affected road, if released by the federal government.
He added: “On the 26th of this month by the grace of God, we will be turning the sword on the Ijebu-Ode to Epe road. This is a state road, Lagos state has done it to their border, we are completing the 14 kilometers between that border and Ogun state and that road will be completed in one year.
“But I believe that when that road is completed, people coming from the east, Ondo, Ijebu, Ibadan will have an option, they don’t have to go to Lagos – Ibadan expressway.
“This will ease the ability to do business in Ogun State. These are one of the things we came to discuss with Mr President.’’
