IBADAN, OYO STATE – Major General Oladayo Popoola (Rtd), a former Military Governor of the old Oyo State, has showered encomiums on Governor Seyi Makinde for his transformative efforts in revitalizing the Fasola Farm Estate and successfully resolving the long-standing ownership crisis of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso.
In an interview, General Popoola, who governed Oyo State from January 1984 to August 1985, expressed his delight at seeing his vision for the Fasola Farm Settlement brought to fruition by the current administration. He lamented his inability to fully develop the settlement during his tenure before his redeployment to Ogun State.
“We tried our best then to turn around Fasola, but it just didn’t work.Even some of the things we took there were destroyed. Now, Makinde has resuscitated it. Everybody is now talking about Fasola. I am quite happy about that,” General Popoola stated.
Governor Makinde, shortly after assuming office, designated the moribund Fasola Farm Settlement as a pilot project for transformation into an agribusiness industrial hub. This initiative, alongside similar plans for Eruwa and Akufo farm settlements, has seen the Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub now host approximately a dozen medium to large-scale agribusinesses involved in crop production, livestock, mechanization, and processing. The hub’s success recently earned it the designation of Nigeria’s first Agribusiness Transformation Centre by the African Development Bank (AfDB) under the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone.
Beyond agriculture, General Popoola also commended Governor Makinde for his decisive intervention that ended the protracted imbroglio at LAUTECH. The crisis had crippled the institution for years, frustrating both students and lecturers.
“We all know what happened to LAUTECH some years back. We all know how the school was always being closed down and nothing was happening,” Popoola remarked. “When he became the governor, Makinde set up a committee which midwifed the process of Oyo State becoming the sole owner of LAUTECH.”
Recent reports indicate that the Oyo State Government has paid N5 billion of the agreed N8 billion to Osun State for the sole ownership of LAUTECH, with full payment expected by 2027. This resolution has allowed LAUTECH to expand, including the establishment of its Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Iseyin.
Describing Governor Makinde as a “very quiet achiever” who is “hardworking” and “respects others,” General Popoola lauded the governor’s impact across various sectors. “He has made a lot of impact, I must say. Talk about agriculture, he has done a lot. Look at infrastructure; virtually all the roads in Ibadan have had a facelift.
Look at education; he is doing a lot. If I continue to list, I will not stop. Honestly, he has done a lot. He is a great achiever and Oyo State has benefited a lot from him.”
