A former Military Governor of the old Oyo State, Major General Oladayo Popoola (Rtd), has showered encomiums on Governor Seyi Makinde for bringing to life his dreams about the Fasola Farm Estate.
The retired General, who served as military governor of Oyo State from January 1984 to August 1985, made this known during an interview with The People’s Verdict. According to him, the Fasola Farm Settlement was a project close to his heart, and he had hoped to transform it during his tenure, but his plans were cut short following his redeployment to Ogun State.
“We tried our best then to turn around Fasola, but it just didn’t work. Even some of the things we took there were destroyed. Now, Makinde has resuscitated it. Everybody is now talking about Fasola. I am quite happy about that,” he said.
Shortly after assuming office, Governor Seyi Makinde selected the then-moribund Fasola Farm Settlement as the pilot project in his plan to reconstruct three farm settlements—Fasola, Eruwa, and Akufo—into agribusiness industrial hubs.
Today, the Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub hosts about a dozen medium- to large-scale agribusinesses. These companies are involved in crop production, livestock farming, mechanization, and processing enterprises. Due to its success, the Fasola Industrial Hub was recently named the first Agribusiness Transformation Centre in Nigeria by the African Development Bank (AfDB) under the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone initiative.
General Popoola also commended Governor Makinde for resolving the crisis that had long plagued Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, which had caused setbacks for students and staff alike.
“We all know what happened to LAUTECH some years back. We all know how the school was always being closed down and nothing was happening. When he became the governor, Makinde set up a committee which midwifed the process of Oyo State becoming the sole owner of LAUTECH,” Popoola stated.
Sharing his overall impression of the governor, Popoola described Makinde as a “quiet achiever” and a respectful, hardworking leader who has made remarkable progress across sectors in Oyo State.
“He has made a lot of impact, I must say. Talk about agriculture, he has done a lot. Look at infrastructure; virtually all the roads in Ibadan have had a facelift. Look at education; he is doing a lot. If I continue to list, I will not stop. Honestly, he has done a lot. He is a great achiever and Oyo State has benefitted a lot from him,” he concluded.
Watch the full interview video.
