I will never exchange rice for people’s votes, Amosun vows

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State has vowed not to distribute rice, money and other gifts in exchange of electorate’s votes in 2015 general election.
The governor rather called for genuine and life-improving plans from well-meaning people of the state that would correspond with his developmental programmes ongoing in the state, saying that the state needs much more attention in terms of employment generation, infrastructure development, industrialisation, among others, than distributing rice.
Governor Amosun, who addressed journalists in Abeokuta shortly after Eid-el-Fitri prayer held at Egba Muslim prayer ground, Lantoro in Abeokuta on Monday, disclosed that there should be provision for the haves-not in form of rice and gifts distribution during the festive period, noting that government would prioritise rice distribution to the people and voters alike.
He said, “I have said it severally and I am saying it again that governance should not be reduced to what we call ‘Amala politics’. People must come in with genuine plans, with focus, with vision because without it we cannot develop. Look at the army of unemployed youths. Unless we develop the real sector, it will be like that.
“How many people do you want to start giving money to everyday? When we get all the infrastructure in place and our people are educated. Infrastructure does not end by roads alone, water must be running, the state must be secured, the environment must be good and those are the things we are doing. And I know that we are on the right path, we will not lose focus, eyes on the ball and we will continue.
“We will give arms during the festive period but to now start distributing rice because of vote, that will not happen in Ogun State. Whoever does that, does not want development for our state, it is only those that have no programme for the state.
“Our people are selling petty things at Itoku in Abeokuta, Ita-Aje in Ijebu-Ode and almost all markets, we should find a way of empowering them; we should make them wholesalers and distributors of goods. We must find a way of creating more jobs, even at the grassroots through Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs), that is what I am concerned with.”