An association, the Ibadan Urban Farmers’ Group, has described as a monumental error the decision of Governor Seyi Makinde to deny Senator Kola Balogun a second term ticket.
The group is one of the associations that came into being after having established themselves as farmers, following the encouragement given by Senator Balogun to youths in Ibadan and Ibarapa axis to embrace agriculture.
It noted all positive comments on the performance of Senator Balogun by different individuals, groups and bodies and declared that the governor and the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will regret the step taken against the senator.
Describing Balogun as the best performing senator in the South-West, the coordinator of the group, Dr Olaniyi Akangbe, in a statement, said he has touched thousands of lives positively in the Oyo South Senatorial District.
These, he said, Senator Balogun did through his numerous agricultural empowerment programmes, in collaboration with an Ibadan-based agricultural research institute.
“Thousands of constituents from Oyo South Senatorial District have been empowered in different agricultural value chains, such as sheep and goat rearing, fish farming, poultry/crop production and agricultural value addition.
“During different empowerment programmes organised by Dr Kola Balogun, many agricultural inputs such as pesticides, point of lay birds, weaners, improved seeds, poultry and fishery equipment, were distributed to all the participants.
“The trainees were taught by highly qualified resource persons and exposed to real practical agricultural training,” Dr Akangbe stated.
The group opined that Senator Balogun, despite being a first timer, has outperformed his predecessors and contemporaries from Oyo State and so deserved automatic ticket to continue the good work.
“Senator Balogun is an asset to Oyo State PDP in view of his educational background, exposure and myriads of achievements in the National Assembly and Oyo South Senatorial District.
“Governor Makinde should know that the candidature of a person who collaborated with the previous administration in the state to inflict serious hardship on thousands of civil servants in the pace setter state cannot fly.
“We are reminding His Excellency of the importance of Oyo South Senatorial District in the politics of the pacesetter state and even his second term ambition.
“The personality of Senator Kola Balogun is so strong to be ignored in the politics of Ibadan and Oyo State in general, going by the agelong saying that ‘only an insane person would not treat a true Ibadan indigene with utmost respect and dignity,'” the group stated.
