DIPLOMAN TIMES

The Ondo State Government has reported interventions spanning healthcare, education, agriculture, electricity, infrastructure and investment as part of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa's review of the state's development programme.

Speaking during the state's 66th Independence Anniversary programme, Governor Aiyedatiwa outlined reported government activities under the OUR EASE agenda while also calling for peaceful, issue-based participation in the electoral process ahead of 2027. He urged political actors and young people to avoid violence and respect citizens' right to participate peacefully.

In healthcare, the governor reported that about 3,323 health professionals had been recruited and deployed across the state's 18 local government areas. He also cited the provision of a 1.5 Tesla MRI machine and a 160-slice CT scanner at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Complex, alongside fully funded health insurance coverage for retirees and pensioners through ORANGHIS.

On education and agriculture, Aiyedatiwa reported continued teacher recruitment, increased subventions to state-owned tertiary institutions and support for students through bursaries, scholarships and other financial assistance. The state also reported securing 26,000 hectares of agricultural land, distributing more than two million cocoa seedlings and profiling about 14,000 smallholder cocoa and oil-palm farmers under an FAO-supported programme.

The governor further cited the Ondo State Electricity Regulatory Commission, work towards private-sector participation in the 30MW Ore Independent Power Plant and investment opportunities around the Olokola Industrial and Free Trade Zone and proposed Ondo Deep Sea Port. He also reported continued attention to salaries, promotions, pension and gratuity obligations and the strengthening of administrative structures.

The state government publication presented the measures as part of an ongoing programme covering public services, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, investment and administration. The Independence Day address therefore combined a review of reported interventions with an appeal for peaceful civic and electoral engagement.