The federal government has formally sought the support of the Aseyin of Iseryin, Oba Abdulganiy Salawudeen Oloogunebi (Ajinese 1), on the re-awarded and redesigned Middle Ogun River Project, situated along Iseyin-Oyo road in Iseyin local government of Oyo State.
A letter seeking the monarch’s support was hand-delivered by the Minister of Water Resources, Sulaimon Adamu, who led a team to the palace on Tuesday evening.
Other officials on the team were the Managing Director, Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority, Otunba Olufemi Odumosu; and a director from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs Esther Oluniyi.
Speaking with reporters after delivering the letter, Otunba Odumosu said the project that was initiated during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo was redesigned to now encompass power generation to the national grid, as well as provide irrigation service, which will give farmers in the Oke Ogun region the opportunity to farm all-round the year.
Odumosu said: “This visit is to deliver a letter from the Minister of Water Resources, Sulaimon Adamu, pertaining to the Middle Ogun Irrigation Project that has just been re-awarded and redesigned for connection to the national grid, in order to make it more effective.
“We have delegates from the Ministry of Water Resources in Abuja and Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority. I am happy to tell you that there are lots of things to be gained by the people of Oyo State, Oke Ogun and Iseyin from this project, as farmers will now have the opportunity to farm all-year round through the use of the irrigation project, while the power generation project will also improve power supply for industrial and domestic usage.
“This project is also beneficial to the newly-established College of Agricultural Science and Renewable Resources of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Iseyin for academic and research purposes, and we hope our rapport with the monarch and community leaders today will bring the needed support for the project.”
The Aseyin of Iseyin in his response appreciated the minister and the delegation for the “good news” brought from Abuja, promising the full support of the people of the community for the project.
Oba Adekunle said the project could not have come at a better time than the period of the take-off of the College of Agricultural Science and Renewable Resources of LAUTECH.