’Yinka ADETUNJI
Jubilations filled the air yesterday as three boreholes and street light were commissioned in Ogbomoso, courtesy of Mr. Femi Onireti, a philanthropist and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
This is just as he provided solar street light at Aaje/Osupa-Eleko junction, about a kilometre stretch and also promised to fix a collapsed culvert located between Osupa Eleko and Osupa Elemu junctions.
The borehole project was in fulfillment of a promise he made during the local government election in May in which he stated that he would provide a borehole in each of the wards that returned the highest votes to the PDP in the three local governments of Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South and Oriire local governments.
Two and a half months after, the promise is now fulfilled, eliciting jubilations among the residents of the benefiting areas and PDP loyalists.
At the commissioning ceremonies in each of the locations yesterday attended by hundreds of PDP members and leaders, Onireti was hailed as a solution provider in key areas.
Hon. George Ogunlade, Apostle Moses Olamoyegun and Alhaji Isiaka Owonikoko, PDP chairmen in Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South and Oriire local governments respectively, all noted that Onireti was writing a good story for the party and for himself, a sentiment echoed by the other leaders who spoke at the events.
The party chairmen said separately while speaking at the commissioning, “Mr. Olufemi Onireti promised during council election to give borehole to the wards with the highest votes in each of the three local governments. We thank him he promised and fulfilled. It is those boreholes that we are commissioning today.
“He made a promise and God enabled him to fulfill it; this is the second borehole he has given us in this local government. He also provided street light at ward nine (Osupa), we will commission that also today.
“Our people, we hope you are taking note of the trend of events; someone who is not holding any political office, who has not been nominated and he is doing all these things, I want our people to take note. But God will choose for us, we express appreciation to Femi Onireti, God will bring your dream to reality,” the party chairmen echoed separately.
A community leader in Saja, Hon. Femi Alamu a.k.a. Fryo said, “I am short of words, I am overwhelmed by the strides of Onireti. If one’s child is good one should not hesitate to proclaim it and upon all, he is humble, never arrogant. Since I knew him he has always been concerned about the welfare of the less privileged. That is the mark of a good leader.”
Another Saja resident stated, “We have five boreholes in Saja/Isale-Ora, and they were all provided by PDP. During the eight years of All Progressives Congress, APC, they didn’t add to it. Also a health centre is being built by the PDP government in the ward presently. Now, Onireti has brought another borehole. So, APC, which has not given us anything, is dead in Saja/Isale-Ora.”
At the various locations, Femi Onireti asserted that he is encouraged to do what he is doing in order to complement what he described as the good works of Engr. Seyi Makinde.
“I love action than much than much word. I thank Engr. Seyi Makinde, if he is not doing well, we wouldn’t be encouraged to do the little we are doing. We will continue to be encouraged by his good works.”
Onireti reiterated that the water should not be sold, adding, “If it is damaged, let us know, we will carry out the repair.”
Meanwhile, the Akinsi, Osupa-born politician noted that his rationale for providing the (solar) street light was to provide lighting in the area, “especially at Osupa –Eleko junction, which is prone to accident at night. I heard that many collisions resulting into accidents have occurred at the junction in the night some fatal and we thought if we light up the area, this will reduce the spate of accidents.
“In addition, Governor Makinde is lighting up Oyo state, so we are encouraged to emulate him. In the same vein we are fixing the culvert at Osupa which had collapsed to make passage of vehicles, motorcycles and pedestrians easy,” he said during a telephone chat with ogbomosoinsightonline.com.
Asked if that was the first street light project he embarked upon, Onireti disclosed he provided street light in the street his house is located at Odo-Oru area of Ogbomoso.
In the phase one of his borehole project, Saja/Isale-Ora, Osupa and Ikoyi wards were the beneficiaries in Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South and Oriire local governments respectively.
However in the phase two, according to Hon Ogunlade, Masifa/Aguodo ward, it was learnt, returned the highest votes in Ogbomoso North during the council election, but the people of the ward released the project to Saja/Isale-Ora on account of being the ward from where the current council chairman, Hon Kabir Akanji, hails from and also to improve the fortunes of the party in the ward.
The three new boreholes bring the number of boreholes provided in the constituency in less than a year by the House of Reps’ hopeful to six, having donated previously at Tewure, Osupa and Akata wards.
