The Ondo Ekimogun Youth Congress (OEYC) an umbrella body of all youth groups, forums and associations in Ondo kingdom, has dismissed the reports and campaigns of calumny against the lawmaker representing Ondo East/West Federal Constituency, Honourable Abiola Makinde.
The youth in a statement by its President Engineer Kayode Folajogun, in a strong term condemned those they described as unprogressive persons over the purported plans to recall the lawmaker, describing them as faceless and enemy of progress.
Recall that speculations were recently rife within and outside the state that the constituents, under the auspices of a political group in the area the Ekimogun Roundtable, had began mobilising the people to start the process of recalling the lawmaker.
The group equally alledged that the lawmaker had abandoned the constituency for a long time and had not made meaningful impact in the lives of his constituents since he was voted in to represent them at the lower legislative chamber.
The group further alleged massive disparity in constituency projects allotted to the constituency on paper and actual physical projects execution.
But the Ondo youths in a swift reaction through a statement released on Tuesday, said no plan to recall the lawmaker, explained that in all the representatives that has been representing the constituency Honourable Abiola Makinde is the only one with a Score card that is over and above all the other Federal Lawmakers from Ondo Kingdom in the last three decades.
“Certainly, if constituents are people who live and vote in an area, then Ondo East and West Federal Constituents are our farmers, Artisans, civil servants, Iyalojas, community leaders and not people who live out these catchment areas but form kangaroo groups to malign the character of lawfully elected representatives whose performances are unrivalled.
“The Ekimogun Roundtable and its members do not fit into any of the above listed categories. Our checks revealed that the group members are social media racketeers residing and voting outside Ondo State.
“We can boldly say that 9,900 out of ten thousand Ondo constituents are happy with Hon Abiola Makinde because he has positively touched their lives or the lives of their children, friends or relatives since he assumed office to represent the area.
“Hon. Abiola Makinde in the last four years has assisted over eighty youths in his constituency to secure federal jobs, and countless others in furtherance of their studies abroad. What more can any reasonable constituent regard as meaningful impacts?.
“it is reprehensible, that the financier of the roundtable group could not distinguish between ERGP and ZIP after decades of being a stenographer in the corridors of power. For the benefits of the public, ERGPs (Economic Recovery Growth Plan) are capital projects to be executed by the Federal Government in any fiscal year.
While ZIP (Zonal Intervention Projects) also referred to as constituency projects nominated by Federal legislators on behalf of their constituencies, inserted into the budget and executed by the MDAs. MDAs on the other hands stand for Ministries, Department and Agencies.
It is noteworthy that all projects in the budget are implemented by either a Ministry, Department or Agency. Some projects could even be demonstrational.
“Therefore, we wish to further educate the ‘educated illiterate members’ of the roundtable group that not all Federal Government projects in Ondo East/West Federal Constituency are constituency projects.
“Should the roundtable group have any need to clarify or investigate projects in our constituency, visitation should be done to the appropriate quarters if chasing shadows, slandering and attempting to incite the good people of Ondo kingdom against the performing representative.
“Few of the many intervention and achievements of the performing MHR in his constituency are; rural electrification/connection to the national grid of communities, provision of tractors and farm implements to farmers.
Other intervention mentioned by the Ondo youths are, provision of boreholes to selected communities, provisions of instructional materials and equipment to primary and secondary schools, facilitation of multi million naira ultra modern library.
Others were, facilitation of multi million naira skill acquisition centre in Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo, facilitation of the upgrade of Adeyemi College of Education to the first Federal University of Education in Nigeria, road and bridges reconstruction, monthly distribution of free drugs and medical care to constituents, coverage of the constituents in the NHIS enrolment scheme among others.