Osun state governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, has said his administration will stop at nothing in cultivating the teeming youth population of the state to make them productive and competitive.
This is as the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) in collaboration with Macjey Sports Agency organised a maiden 10 km Road Race to commemorate Oyetola’s three years as governor of Osun.
Oyebode Dada Sunday (32 minutes 57 seconds), Oladele Sunday Olaleye (33 minutes 32 seconds) and Azuwhike Augustine (33 minutes 51 seconds) were the winners for the male category, while Jimoh Ramat (37 minutes 51 seconds), Haruna Hawaw (37 minutes 52 seconds), and Christians Agbofure (40 minutes 44 seconds) won the female category of the race.
Oyetola, who was represented at the reception ceremony by the Head of Service, Dr Festus Olowogboyega Oyebade, lauded OSBC and Macjey Sports Agency for the initiative which aligns with the development agenda of his administration.
Commenting on the theme of the marathon, ‘Road Race, Run for Consolidation’, Oyetola assured that Osun was set to witness a consolidation of good things, including infrastructural developments, citizens and workers welfare and youth development, among other gains that his administration had recorded in the last three years.
“We are deliberately cultivating our youths to make them productive and competitive. Our Youth Policy named the 4Es – Youth Education, Youth Sensitization, Youth Empowerment and Youth Engagement – is part of our inclusive governance strategy. It is intended to make the youth, the leaders of tomorrow the tool for achieving the sustainable development strategy of our Administration.
“The above and more are our strategies to consolidate our goals and vision. Ours is consolidation for building structures for sustainable development. It is consolidation for good governance. It is consolidation for the good life for our people.
“We are irrevocably resolved to make the people own this strategy and run with it. We are irrevocably determined to leave the people with no choice but to make good governance and sustainable development their only considerations for electing their leaders.
“We thank Osun Broadcasting Corporation, OSBC, and Macjey Sports Agency for organizing this Road Race to mark the third Anniversary of our Administration. We urge you to continue to be on the side of the people by making their interests and opinions count in all you do”, Oyetola said.
In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs Funke Egbemode, said the Road Race was conceptualised to appreciate Governor Oyetola’s resilience and commitment to the development of Osun, with an underlying objective of unearthing abundant budding sports talents in Osun and beyond and nurture them to stardom.
Egbemode said beyond Oyetola’s impressive performance in three years, the marathon was also a good platform to appreciate the governor’s benevolence in getting the Corporation’s ageing equipment replaced and upgraded.
She registered the aspiration of the organisers to take the initiative to the next level, with a view to registering participants from Kenya and Ethiopia, who are regarded as traditional long distance specialists.
