President Goodluck Jonathan said on Wednesday that he would focus greater attention toward the completion of the Akure Cargo Terminal to enable the rural farmers to export their crops.
The president gave the indication when he paid a courtesy visit to the Regent of Akure Kingdom, Oba Adetutu Adesida, in her palace where he also met with the Ondo State Council of Traditional Rulers.
Jonathan said that his administration was diversifying the economy, especially through agriculture and manufacturing as Nigeria would no longer continue to depend on crude oil for foreign exchange.
“The period of making money from oil for many countries is coming to a close.
“Government must go back to commercial agriculture and we are encouraging the young ones to key into the system due to its enormous potential,’’ he said.
According to the President, his administration will continue to do the best for the people of Ondo and indeed the entire country.
He told the monarchs that his administration had recorded successes in education, healthcare, road rehabilitation and marine transportation in the first term and when re-elected would concentrate better to provide more social infrastructure for the citizenry.
“We believe that if we were able to do what we have done in the past four years, we will do better in the next four years.’’
Jonathan said that his administration had high regard for the traditional institution in the country but would not drag the monarchs into politics.
“We do not move into a state without taking permission from the traditional institution. That is why we are here to pay homage before our party’s Presidential campaign in the State.’’
The President thanked the monarchs for the royal blessing they gave to him in 2011 “which gave us victory’’ and requested for the blessing to enable the administration to emerge victorious again to complete its transformation agenda.
He commiserated with the Regent on the passage of the former Oba and said the government would stand by the Kingdom always.
Earlier the Regent had acknowledged that the Jonathan administration was favourable to the Ondo people through the citing of a Federal University of Technology and a Polytechnic in Akure to improve the quality of education of the youth.
She gave the assurance that the kingdom was behind the president in all his endeavors.
“I assure you that Akure people will show support,’’ she said.
Also the Ondo state Traditional Rulers’ Council noted that since Jonathan became President, he had impacted meaningfully on human lives in Agriculture, education, transportation, the rail sector as well as Aviation.
The chairman of the council, Oba Victor Kiladejo, expressed happiness for the upgrading of the Akure local Airport to a cargo Airport and the collaboration between the Jonathan administration and Gov. Olusegun Mimiko’s to develop Ondo.
The council noted the massive road rehabilitation going on in different parts of the country and asked President Jonathan to speedily rehabilitate the Ore-Akure road.
The council said it was touched by the denial of “a pride of place’’ for the traditional institution across the country and requested that the institution be granted constitutional recognition.
“We need to be accorded recognition especially now that the constitution is being reviewed.
“May all your prayers be answered in your political pursuits,’’ the council added.