Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja and Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari will, on February 24, commission the Ore flyover and the state industrial hub to mark the third anniversary of his administration.
Akeredolu, who is the chairman of South West Governors’ Forum, also said formation of the regional security outfit, Operation Amotekun, is not for his re-election bid.
“Ondo State has already done enough in terms of security and I don’t need Operation Amotekun to be re-elected for a second term,” he said.
Governor Akeredolu, who was at the Presidential Villa, on a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari was quoted by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Ojo Oyewamide, as saying he came to formally invite the president to commission the Ore flyover and Ondo State industrial hub, which are among several projects to be commissioned to mark the third anniversary of his administration.
According to him, the Ore flyover cost the state government N5 billion, describing it as iconic and very important project to free flow of traffic. He also said the region will benefit a lot from the hub of industries.
Fielding questions from State House Correspondents, Akeredolu said contrary to reports in the media, his visit had nothing to do with Amotekun, which had pitted the governors of the region against the Federal Government until the intervention of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo a fortnight ago.
On the N30,000 minimum wage, Akeredolu described Ondo State civil servants as the happiest in the country, as he has commence payment.
“Ondo civil servants are the happiest in the country because their salaries are paid promptly and we have commenced the payment of the new minimum wage,” he said.
Meanwhile, Akeredolu has urged the Federal Government to legalise the use of marijuana solely for the production of CBD drugs in the country.
The governor said CBD can be extracted from marijuana and it is a potent drug in the treatment of cancer.
He expressed concern that Nigeria still spend huge amount of money importing the drug when it can be produced locally.
He said his endorsement of marijuana did not mean support for drug abuse but to point out the validity of credible research which has made the substance widely used in hospitals worldwide and by patients suffering a wide range of ailments, including cancer and joint pains.
The governor argued that the crimes associated with producing, possession or smuggling of marijuana, would be drastically reduced if it is legalised.