Oluyole Economic Summit: Stakeholders Push For Better Cooperation, Commitment To CSR By Private Firms

Economic and security stakeholders in Oluyole local government have identified deepened collaboration, cooperation, and commitment to corporate social responsibility as panacea for economic expansion and improved community based security.

This was as the executive chairman of Oluyole LG, Engr. Akeem Olatunji, highlighted some of the key areas the council would prioritize for projects implementation, policy formulation and program execution to include infrastructural development, education, primary healthcare, security, and provision of other social amenities.

The summit tagged: “Expanding Grassroots Economy, Enhancing Community Based Security ” which held at the LG Secretariat, Idi-Ayunre on October 30, featured keynote speeches from influential stakeholders, including the Commissioner for Environment and chairman of the summit; Hon. Abdulmojeed Mognonjubola, Special Adviser on Security to Governor Makinde and Chairman of Oyo state Security Trust Fund; Compol Fatai Owoseni (rtd.), Executive Assistant on Security to Governor Makinde; Compol Sunday Odukoya (rtd.), DG Oyo State Mineral Development Agency; Okunrinjeje Abiodun Oni, Chairman Oyo State Education Trust Fund; Barrister Abdulraheem Abdulrahman, representatives of DG Operation Burst; Dr Stephen Oyinlola, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN); Mr Sunday Aboriomoh, Kabiyesi, Alayunre of Idi Ayunre: Oba Muritala Olumini, who represented traditional rulers and leaders.

The Chairman, Oyo State Board of Internal Revenue; Mr Olufemi Awakan, in his documented five page keynote address before the panel session, highlighted the causes and implications of the current economic downturn in the country and suggested strategic ways of addressing these challenges to improve local economy at the grassroots.

Awakan’s keynote address tagged: “Improving the Local Economy via Strategic Revenue Generation,” gave an expose on the prevailing Nigerian economy, the impacts of policies linked to the IFC, IMF, World Bank and the Central Bank of Nigeria, as well as recent taxation policy reforms being advanced by the Federal Government.

He concluded by submitting that economic reform as being championed at the grassroots by the local government chairman was crucial for enhancing performance of any economy, and therefore, called for careful planning in policy formulation, program design, and projects execution.

Panel discussions explored various strategies for deepening synergy, promote collaboration between stakeholders towards the actualization of the theme of the event. The event also illustrated the tangible benefits of corporate engagement with local government in driving grassroots development.

Speaking on enhancement of community based security during the panel session, Retired Compol Fatai Owoseni highlighted the numerous unprecedented achievements of the present administration in the state. He urged the public to endeavor to support government by providing timely information using dedicated security channels for swift crime prevention even before they occur.

While commending security agencies in the state for their cooperation and their gallantry in providing improved security, Owoseni, who noted that Oluyole should be the richest local government if things were done rightly by corporate entities in the area faulted poor cooperation of corporate establishments operating in the council and urged them to turn a new leaf as a show of reciprocating efforts of both the state and local governments. He added that Governor Makinde has done alot and still ambitious to do much more in terms of security.

Speaking in similar direction, the Executive Assistant on Security Matters, retired commissioner of Police, Compol Sunday Odukoya, while creating a nexus between economic expansion and security said, Governor Makinde’s unprecedented investment on security is already yielding the desired results with less incidence of kidnapping and other major crime in the state.

While commending the Council Chairman for his foresight by organizing such economic and security summit, Odukoya called on stakeholders to deepen cooperation in order to engender sustainable development in the local government. He also called for all hands to be on deck in order to consolidate on the achievements recorded so far on security stressing that no meaningful development could take place in any environment lacking in adequate security.

In his submission, the DG Operation Burst, Colonel James Adekola represented by Dr Stephen Oyinlola, described the council chairman as a humanist who combines elitist and local approach to public administration saying “Engr. Olatunji is a man who thinks globally and acts locally.”

He stressed the need for deepening collaboration and synergy to achieve a holistic result in terms of adequate security that also impact on the economy through safety of lives and properties of all residents as well as creating the enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

Also speaking, the Director General, Oyo State Mineral Resource Development Agency, Okunrinjeje Abiodun Oni lauded the chairman for the lofty initiative of organizing such summit urging other local governments to emulate such efforts as it aligns with the vision of Governor Seyi Makinde under his sustainable development agenda particularly for grassroots development.

He also described the summit as timely and strategic while urging the council chairman to dedicate another time specially to comprehensively address issues bothering on mineral resources and mining activities for want of time during the panel session. He assured that his agency was fully ready to deepen collaboration with Oluyole local government in its economic expansion drive to ensure a ‘win win’ situation for all stakeholders.

Earlier in his welcome address, the executive chairman of Oluyole local government, Engr. Akeem Olatunji, who disclosed to newsmen that the council was ambitious for economic emancipation noted that its aspirations were feasible, realistic amd achievable within the expected time and expressed optimism that stakeholders would fully cooperate with the council in its economic expansion drive.

He stressed his administration’s commitment to leveraging on the strength of the council area which he said lies in vast arable land for agriculture, presence of large scale industries, abundant mineral resources, and human capital to drive the economic expansion agenda.

Addressing newsmen shortly after the event, Olatunji said: “there’s no gain saying that the Governor Seyi Makinde led administration has not only provided unprecedented security logistics which include vehicles, communication gadgets, and other support to our security agencies towards enhancing adequate security, which has culminated into safe and friendly business environment but has also made the whole of Oyo state a construction site through aggressive infrastructure development drive.

Olatunji, who underpinned the importance of private sector involvement in addressing social issues such as education, health care, and infrastructure development emphasized the need for them to go beyond profit-making to actively contribute to the communities in which they operate.

“Going by these unprecedented records of sectoral achievements in terms of provision of critical infrastructures and enabling environment for businesses to thrive, it is expected that operators in the organized private sector benefiting from the good governance in Oyo state would wake up to their responsibilities in terms of giving back to their host communities via their CSR.

“I want us to critically look into the methods by which the local government can partner with each company and corporate organization located within our jurisdiction thereby contributing meaningfully to the economy and security growth of Oluyole local government through deliberate commitment to their Corporate Social Responsibility.

“Let me disclose here that within my few months in office, this administration has executed numerous projects with direct impacts on the lives of our people. These include security, education, jealth, agriculture, infrastructure and provision of social amenities. We’re willing and ambitious to do more within the lifespan of our administration at the local government level.

“I want to add that on my part, I will leave no stone unturned to improve the lots of our citizens and residents and I want to solicit for maximum cooperation and support of all the organizations and cornpanies ably represented here today, that we as government are limited and we can not do it alone if they fail to cooperate with us.

Earlier during the panel session, stakeholders lament poor commitment of private firms operating under Oluyole local government to their corporate social responsibilities. They also decried such disposition, and called on the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to lead the charge by ensuring its members wake up to its responsibility for the actualization of economic emancipation and grassroots development.

The Operations Counsel for British American Tobacco (BAT), who came to represent the multinational outfit, lauded the Chairman for organizing the Summit and also committed to taking back the resolutions of the gathering to the BAT management while also ensuring that their charity subsidiary (BAT Foundation), gets intimated of the need to come and execute some CSR projects and partnership with the council.

At the end of the summit, a communique was issued where stakeholders unanimously commended the quality of the maiden Economy and Security summit aimed at deepening the economic and social integration process while consolidating political and overall stability, peace and security within the Oluyole LG and Oyo State by extension.

Present at the event were the Vice Chairman of Oluyole LG, Hon. Adeniyi Akorede, LG Secretary; Comrade Tunde Adeniran, Head of Local AdministrationNoib; Alhaja Kudirat Noibi, Chief of Staff to the LG Chairman, Comrade Azeez Babalola, Leader of Oluyole Legislative House; Hon. Taofeeq Azeez and all the 10 Counselors, SA’s and Supervisory Counselors among others.

Also present were representatives of Oyo State Park Management System (PMS) State Treasurer; Comrade Kamoru Idowu Owogeesi, State PMS Chairman (Okada); Alhaji Omoowo Akande, State Chairman PMS (Tricycle); Alhaji Eso, key industries within the local government and other stakeholders including members of Oluyole traditional leaders council.