Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State says the owner states of Oodua Investment Company Limited ( Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, and Osun) had long resolved against interfering in the running of the conglomerate.
Abiodun noted that he and other southwest governors adopted a non-interference approach in order to reposition the conglomerate to reflect the true worth of the people of the zone.
Abiodun spoke while receiving the board and management of the conglomerate, led by Bimbo Ashiru, its group chairman, expressing delight at the successes recorded by the group in recent years.
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He said: “I want to recall that in 2019 when I assumed office, my colleagues and I sat and we decided that it was high time we began the process of repositioning Odu’a and that the present Odu’a at that time did not reflect the quality of us as a people of the southwest.
“We decided that no longer would we want an Odu’a where the members that represent the various states are just politicians; that we would ensure that we have members that are fit for purpose, and also that we should ensure that even the management itself and the directors are professionally recruited so that they can complement the board.
“Today’s Odu’a is a complete departure from what Odu’a used to be.
“I want to commend your sense of creativity, direction, purpose, sincerity and commitment to all that you signed up to do and we are very happy with the results we have seen.
“Because of that, all the governors have adopted a non-interference approach; we have decided not to interfere in your affairs, we are happy with what we are seeing.”
Governor Abiodun also noted that his administration has come up with an inter-ministerial business environment council saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that investors don’t find it difficult to set up businesses in the state, adding that the state is number three in internally generated revenue in the country.
He noted that reforms and the level of efficiency and effectiveness in governance as well as the ability to block leakages and loopholes without putting so much burden through increased taxes on the citizens were some of the reasons the state will continue to soar in its determination to improve its internally generated revenue.
Ashiru, on his part, lauded the governors of member states for appointing capable hands to various boards of the company, noting that the issue of diversification was key to the company.
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Ashiru also disclosed that the company has been given a licence for the marginal field, noting that Odu’a Investment Company was on the verge of becoming an oil-producing organisation in the country.
“Hopefully, we should be able to move into the field by the first or second quarter of next year. So, Odu’a will be one of the oil-producing organisations in Nigeria,” he said.
