The Oyo State Government has announced that the two Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft it procured to strengthen security operations will arrive before the end of July, even as the State Executive Council approved fresh investments in healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, aviation and sports.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, disclosed this in a statement issued after the State Executive Council meeting.
According to him, the delivery of the surveillance aircraft was delayed because the Chinese manufacturers required more time than initially anticipated to assemble them.
“The two surveillance aircraft procured by the state government will finally arrive in the state by the end of this month, July,” Oyelade said.
He explained that although the state had hoped to receive the aircraft much earlier, “the assembly of the components by the Chinese manufacturers took longer than originally anticipated.”
Oyelade recalled that shortly after the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area about two months ago, the state government announced that the aircraft had arrived at the Nigerian Air Force hangar in Ikeja, Lagos State, where assembly commenced.
He said Governor Seyi Makinde told the council that he had wished the aircraft had been available during the rescue operation.
“While the governor was briefing the council, he said that he would have loved the two surveillance aircraft to participate in the rescue operation during the Oriire incident, but the final decision to make the two aircraft operational was not in his hands, as the state government had to depend on the professional and technical advice of the Chinese manufacturers,” Oyelade stated.
According to him, the council maintained that safety considerations should take precedence over public expectations.
“The council noted that it was better to be on the side of caution rather than succumb to uninformed public pressure,” he added.
The commissioner disclosed that the two DA-42 MNG Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft were procured at a cost of ₦7.763 billion and would strengthen aerial surveillance along Oyo State’s borders with Kwara State and the Republic of Benin.
Beyond security, the council approved an interest-free ₦3 billion strategic intervention loan for an indigenous cassava processing factory in Ado-Awaye.
Oyelade said the intervention would enable the factory to expand the production of cassava flour and other derivatives, while benefiting more than 25,000 farmers, creating jobs and strengthening Oyo State’s position as a leading cassava-producing state.
The council also approved an additional ₦2.462 billion equity investment in Oyo Sugar and Derivatives Industries Limited to facilitate the commencement of commercial operations at the sugar processing factory in Iseyin.
The investment follows an earlier ₦850 million equity contribution by the state government towards revitalising and completing the project.
In the infrastructure sector, the council approved the construction of the four-kilometre Idi-Igba/Akinmorin Road in Ilora at a cost of ₦2.901 billion. The project will be executed by the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA) to stimulate socio-economic development in the area.
The council equally approved an additional ₦26.768 billion for the ongoing upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport.
According to the commissioner, the approval covers “additional works and the revised Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (BEME), including the construction of the 140-metre strip, runway safety area, blast pad, extra pipe covers and other ancillary works.”
To strengthen healthcare delivery, the council approved the implementation of a €55 million healthcare initiative, to be financed through a French loan backed by the Federal Government.
The initiative will fund the construction and equipping of hospitals, including a cardiac centre, emergency and maternity centres, operating theatres and intensive care units. It will also provide 39 ambulances, establish 10 dental centres, upgrade 200 primary healthcare centres, and provide emergency and maternity facilities at hospitals in Igboora, Ogbomoso, Oyo, Moniya, Kishi, Iseyin, Okeho and Eruwa.
The council also approved an initial take-off grant of ₦200 million for Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) to support the club’s quest to return to continental football after a 27-year absence from Africa’s elite club competitions.