By Kenneth Ehigiator
ABEOKUTA — A local government chairmanship aspirant in the forthcoming local council polls in Ogun State, Adekoya Sofodu, said yesterday that he would set up a revolving loan scheme to empower farmers in Remo North, if voted into office.

Sofodu, who spoke in an interview in Lagos, said because the local government had an agrarian economy, empowering the farmers would enable them take advantage of the nearness of the huge market in Lagos to create wealth and assist in development of the area and state.

He said he was already in talks with some banks that would provide the funds for the scheme, adding the essence of the scheme was to turn the farmers from subsistence farming to mechanised farmers.

Sofodu said one of the cardinal focus of his administration, if elected, would be to also concentrate on development of infrastructure, particularly roads, to enable the farmers take their produce to the market in Lagos.

“Our people are mainly farmers in Remo North local government area, so I intend to set up a revolving loan scheme for the farmers through the banks to transform them from subsistence farming.

“The local government is just 40 minutes away from Lagos, therefore, I also intend to build roads and other infrastructure, so the farmers could take their produce to the market in Lagos with ease,” said Sobodu, who lamented the absence of banking facility in the local government, composed of six major towns.

He said the banks in the area closed shops because of frequent robbery attacks, stressing that security would also be the focus of his administration.

On alleged non-performance of local government councils in the country due to paucity of funds, Sofodu, said local government chairman have not been able to account for even the little allocation they receive monthly.

According to him, argument by local government chairman that their non-performance is caused by lack of funds does not hold waters.

“What are they doing with the little they have been given?” Sofodu queried, even as he blamed the 1999 constitution for the present challenge faced by local government administrations in the country.

According to him, it is the 1999 constitution that denied local government administration in the country of its independence as a tier of government and placed it under state control.