Governor Ademola Adeleke has called on traditional rulers to deepen unity among their ranks even as he spoke on his plans for the agricultural sector.
The Governor represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon Tola Faseru made the call at the coronation of the wife of the Governor, Her Excellency, Erelu Ngozi Adeleke as the Erelu Soludero of Erinmo Ijesa.
The paramount ruler of Erinmo land, His Royal Majesty, Oba Odunayo M. Ajayi, Arowotawaya II had this Saturday conferred the prestigious title on Mrs Adeleke who was already the Erelu Soludero of Oke Ila in Ifedayo Local Government.
Governor Adeleke expressed heartfelt appreciation to his royal highness for conferring this prestigious title on my wife, Erelu Ngpzi Adeleke, adding that “This is an open demonstration of affection and love for my family and the entire Adeleke dynasty.
“I must congratulate my dear wife for this honour conferred on her and the family. This chieftaincy title symbolizes the sustained efforts of our government and the Adeleke family to bring succor to the people of the state. I thank Kabiyesi for honoring my wife. This will propel us to do more for the people of Osun state”, the Governor posited.
While congratulating the royal father on his coronation anniversary, the State used the opportunity to affirm the importance of royal institutions, submitting that “ the contributions of our royal institutions to communal and state development cannot be brushed aside.
“In the turbulent art of governance, our royal fathers provide invaluable counsellings and moral support which steadied the ship of state and facilitated good governance.
“Our government will continue to accord traditional rulers their rightful place in the scheme of things. We will continue to consult and tap into the fountain of wisdom for which our fathers are made of.
“In this collaborative effort for the good of the people, our government will not abandon its responsibility to deliver dividends of democracy and to lift our people out of poverty and under-development.
“I must however plead with our royal fathers to revive and deepen the old spirit of unity across the traditional councils. We must avoid actions and inactions that breed disunity and fragmentation.
“A united traditional council across the local government will strengthen the capacity of our royal fathers to influence government policies. The increasing sign of fragmentation is worrisome and constitutes a threat to the sanctity of our traditional institutions”, Mr Governor advised.
On state governance , Governor Adeleke told the gathering that his government is implementing several initiatives in the agriculture sector.
According to the Governor , “We are specifically pursuing expansion of activities within such sub-sectors as cocoa, cashew and rice value chains. We will support provisions of facilities for paddy rice processing as well as further incentives for farmers in that sector.
“We are extending similar back up to farmers for other cash crops as a deliberate strategy to expand the state economy and deepen the state Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“In the next few days, our government will be unveiling and distributing several farm equipment and inputs including tractors, fertilizers and seedlings. This is a golden era for our farmers. We are determined to raise Osun into an agro-industrial state with excellent infrastructure for economic sustainability”, Governor Adeleke narrated.