By Segun Giwa
The immediate past Chairman of Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Mr Gbenga Edema, has hailed Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, following the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index released by Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NBS ranked Ondo State with the lowest poverty rate in the country.
Edema gave this indication in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Akure.
He emphasised that with the bureau which oversees and publishes statistics for Nigeria coming out with the verified data on Ondo State, it is an attestation that Akeredolu is doing everything right as the governor.
The statement said the Statistician General/CEO, NBS, Mr Adeyemi Adeniran, on Friday, while featuring on a Channels Television programme, disclosed that Ondo State had the least poverty rate, pegged at 27 per cent, while Sokoto ranked highest at 91 per cent.
NAN reports that the NBS multidimensional Poverty Index was unveiled by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, the Chief of Staff to the President on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.
NAN also reports that the NBS chief revealed that in the assessment of the states in the Multidimensional Poverty Index, the issue of education, access to health facility, and food security were used during the collation of the data.
In the NBS report, 63 percent of persons living within Nigeria (133 million people) are multidimentionally poor.
It added that the National MPI is 0.257, indicates that poor people in Nigeria experience just over one-quarter of all possible deprivations, 65 percent of the poor (86 million people) live in the North, while 35% (nearly 47 million) live in the South.
The Ex-OSOPADEC, who commended Akeredolu on his efforts at uplifting the economy of the state in all sectors, stressed that the midas touch of the governor is glaring enough for all to see.
“For those that have been saying that Arakunrin Odunayo Akeredolu has not being doing anything in the area of the economy, the record is now there for them to see. This is no doubt an incontrovertible fact by the NBS.
“With this, I am congratulating Governor Akeredolu on this spectacular feat. The passion with which the governor has been thriving for the development of the state within and outside the country is an indication of his commitment towards placing the state at the zenith.
“He has touched all the sectors, from infrastructural development across the states, to education, as well as agriculture. He has just been wonderful,” he said.
The ex-OSOPADEC boss also congratulated the governor on his recognition as Governor of the Year on Security in Nigeria by New Telegraph Newspaper.
According to Edema, Akeredolu is certainly a trailblazer, particularly with his idea in the formation of the Amotekun Corps, which has brought succour to not only the people of Ondo State, but the entire South-West.
Edema maintained that Akeredolu has continued to demonstrate that the people must always come first for anyone in governance. (NAN)
