Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday charged leaders at all levels to embrace democracy that promotes prosperity, poverty eradication, employment and adequate security for the betterment of Nigeria.

Mr Obasanjo gave the charge in Oyo during the inauguration of the rehabilitated 34.8 kilometres Oyo-Iseyin Road project.

According to the former president, a democracy that nurtured poverty, unemployment and insecurity should be thrown overboard because it only characterised backwardness.

He emphasised the importance of cultivating specific crops that would distinguish Oyo from others, noting that the state had been known as a cassava farming centre.

The former president urged the state to embrace the cultivation of one more major crop to enhance efforts to boost food security.

Mr Obasanjo stressed the importance of good road networks. He commended the foresight of Governor Seyi Makinde in the rehabilitation, reconstruction and construction of roads linking the five zones in the state.

He said such projects would fast-track socio-economic development across the zones and urged residents to support Mr Makinde’s government to develop the state’s economy.

In his welcome address, Mr Makinde said the reconstruction of the Oyo-Iseyin Road and other ongoing road projects was in line with his administration’s vision to connect all five zones in the state and mitigate rural-urban migration.

He promised to fast-track the completion of all the ongoing road projects and to rehabilitate all internal roads. 

The rehabilitated Oyo-Iseyin Road was awarded in 2021 at N8.4 billion to Kopek Construction Limited.

(NAN)