The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, Sen. Sharafadeen Alli, on Monday unveiled his governance blueprint, promising to strengthen local government administration, improve public education and healthcare, enhance security, and stimulate economic growth if elected governor.
Speaking at a programme tagged “A Day With BSA” held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan, Alli said his administration would focus on responsive leadership and sustainable development to deliver tangible benefits to residents across the state.
He described his vision as one built on prosperity, security and inclusive economic development, stressing that governance must be driven by the needs of the people.
A key feature of his blueprint is the full implementation of local government autonomy in line with the provisions of the Constitution.
According to him, granting councils greater operational independence will strengthen grassroots governance and enable them to effectively discharge their constitutional responsibilities, including agriculture, rural development, food production and community security.
To achieve this, the APC candidate pledged to restore statutory subventions and running grants to local government councils, saying the move would enable them to rehabilitate rural roads, strengthen neighbourhood watch and vigilante groups, and execute projects that directly impact their communities.
“Development is more meaningful when it begins from the grassroots. Local governments must be empowered to serve the people effectively and respond to their immediate needs,” he said.
On education, Alli promised sweeping reforms across the primary, secondary and tertiary levels to improve learning standards and restore confidence in the public school system.
He said consultants currently managing tertiary institutions would be disengaged, while governing councils would be allowed to function strictly in line with their enabling laws.
He also pledged to recruit more teachers, reduce class sizes to about 30 pupils, upgrade school infrastructure and restore school subventions to improve teaching and learning.
The APC standard-bearer further promised to revive school farms in rural communities and establish technical colleges across the state’s three senatorial districts to equip young people with vocational and entrepreneurial skills.
Speaking on agriculture, Alli said his administration would establish commodity boards, provide farmers with tractors, fertilisers and modern farm implements, and support increased food production across the state.
He added that cottage industries would be encouraged to process agricultural produce locally, while guaranteed off-takers would be introduced to create employment opportunities for young agripreneurs and reduce post-harvest losses.
On healthcare, the governorship hopeful promised to ensure that every ward has a functional primary healthcare centre, while every local government area would have a well-equipped general hospital.
He also pledged to recruit more doctors and other healthcare professionals to improve access to quality medical services for residents.
Alli said security would remain a major priority under his administration, promising better welfare packages, operational vehicles and modern equipment for neighbourhood watch personnel and vigilante groups.
He also vowed to accelerate road rehabilitation and expand access to potable water in both urban and rural communities, noting that schools, hospitals, markets and other public institutions would benefit from improved water infrastructure.
The APC candidate further promised greater support for artisans, traders, market associations and other business groups to encourage entrepreneurship, promote peaceful coexistence and stimulate economic activities across the state.
He assured civil servants that salaries would be paid on or before the 25th of every month, while regular recruitment and continuous training would be prioritised to improve productivity in the public service.
He also pledged prompt payment of pensions and gratuities and promised to restore the 13th-month salary for workers.
In the area of sports development, Alli said his administration would revive grassroots competitions, build standard stadiums in the state’s six geopolitical zones and provide stronger support for Shooting Stars Sports Club and other football teams in Oyo State.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Oyo State, Akeem Abas, said the union remained non-partisan and was providing a platform for all governorship candidates to present their programmes and vision for the state. He added that the initiative was aimed at giving residents the opportunity to understand the candidates’ plans and make informed choices during the election.
The event was attended by the APC deputy governorship candidate, Adesoji Adedeji; the Oyo State APC Chairman, Chief Moses Adeyemo; members of the party’s state executive committee, other party leaders and a large number of supporters.
