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- Olowu endorses project
From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has commended the Ogun State government for its initiative to revitalise the Government Reservation Areas (GRAs) through the GRA Regeneration Programme.
Obasanjo, a native of Ogun State, described the rebuilding of the GRAs to meet modern standards as long overdue and pledged his full support for the program. He even offered to become the Chief Marketer of the new project.
“I would not only support the programme wholeheartedly but be ready to be the Chief Marketer of the new project,” Obasanjo declared.
The former president made these remarks during a visit by the Ogun State Ministry of Housing to the Palace of Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Saka Matemilola. He described the program as laudable and expressed his delight that the skyline of Abeokuta would be transformed with the GRA Regeneration Programme.
Obasanjo recalled that the old and dilapidated structures inside the Ibara GRA were hastily built to accommodate civil servants and top government officials when Ogun was created in 1976. He noted that the project would be a welcome development for Ogun indigenes who desire a serene, peaceful, and comfortable location to live.
He commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for initiating the program and his administration’s commitment to improving infrastructure in the state. Obasanjo also praised the State Commissioner for Housing, Jamiu Akande Omoniyi, for leading the ministry in marketing the GRA Regeneration Programme and engaging traditional rulers.
Obasanjo reiterated his willingness to promote the project within and outside the country to Ogun indigenes. He urged the state government to ensure that roads leading to the Ibara GRA are repaired to match the standard of the new project.
Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Saka Matemilola, expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Housing for visiting and engaging with the Olowu-in-Council to discuss the housing project. He endorsed the GRA Regeneration Programme and assured the ministry of his support in mobilising Owu indigenes, both locally and in the diaspora, to participate in the project.
In his address to the Olowu-in-Council, Commissioner Omoniyi explained that the visit aimed to inform the Council of the state government’s decision to transform the housing landscape in the state. He highlighted the dilapidated state of the GRAs and emphasised that the project would significantly increase the value of houses within the Abeokuta metropolis.
“We believe that there is wisdom in community engagement; this project should be owned and guarded by the people,” Omoniyi stated.
He disclosed that the state has constructed over four thousand housing units across the state, creating approximately 20,000 direct and indirect jobs for its citizens.
