Aregbesola Canvasses Development Of Rural Areas

Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has emphasised the need for the governments at all levels to develop the rural areas rather than full developmental projects in the urban areas.
The governor, who has been described as grassroots-friendly, contended that the rural areas in the country need more developments.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a recent three-day workshop in Osogbo on Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP), Aregbesola argued that the rural areas in the country lack development, hence the need for the governments at all levels to concentrate developmental projects in the areas.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, also urged the Federal Government to improve on the allocation accrued to the states to aid development at the grassroots.
According to him “the state governments are closer to their people than the federal government and are logistically better positioned to reach and provide for the development needs of the people within their boundaries.”
He remarked “It is crucial for the states to get the necessary supports in their drive to facilitate the realisation of the country’s development needs. Against this background, the RAMP project is a positive contribution towards helping state governments in the country to accelerate the pace of economic growth and development.”
Governor Aregbesola also opined that “in a developing economy like ours, vast numbers of our population yet reside in rural areas. Even, a greater number of people in the cities still have one leg in their rural communities and most would wish to retire to their villages if only the basic amenities to support them are in place.”
However, the governor expressed regret that the rural areas in the country are relatively more backward than their urban counterparts, and called for quick improvement on the trend.
He stressed that the only way to develop the rural areas in the country was to increase access of the people of such areas to social and physical infrastructures.
THIS DAY