* joins Makinde to flag off 34.85km Oyo/Fashola/Iseyin road
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri on Thursday, tasked the Federal Government to give attention to all cases of perverse injustice across the country
Governor Diri stated this in a goodwill message at a ceremony to flag off the 34.85km Oyo/Fashola/Iseyin road held at Ojongbodu Grammar School, Oyo
The governor stressed that doing so will guarantee peace that Nigerians are clamouring for and that perverse injustice across Nigeria stands as the bane of crisis that is making peace elusive among the people
While charging the Federal Government to ensure it is on the same page with the people in their bid to give the desired leadership to the people .
” I came in here and all I smell about is a peaceful environment. No killings and that is because the people and the government of Oyo state are one and the same. They are on the same page. Can we say the same thing about the Federal Government of Nigeria? They have to be on the same page with the people”, he said.
The governor added, ” when you are on the same page with the people, there will be peace. And the peace that we are all shouting and looking for can only come when there is justice”.
Speaking further, the governor commended Governor Seyi Makinde for endearing to embark on such project at a time like this in the country and that the people of Oyo state should give the needed support to the state government.
“We are happy today to see a flag off almost turning out to be a second term campaign of my friend. When my brother colleague requested that I join him today to flag off this all important road, I tried to find out why. I discovered that this road means so much to the people of Oyo and the people of Iseyin”
Governor Diri stressed, ” and when I went and probe further, I realised that this road has so much of economic value for as much as geographic value”, adding, ” let mesalute my friend and brother, the one you fondly call GSM for his vision and commitment to serve his people diligently”.
“The best is that you have a governor who is a people’s governor and driving from Ibadan to Oyo, shows that Governor Seyi Makinde is the people’s governor.Project like this are very difficult to embark on in the times we are into in Nigeria. It takes a man of courage, vision and love for the people to embark on a project like this.
“So, I believe that as we flag off this road project in Oyo and Iseyin, this road project will be completed in record time. For us as a people of Oyo State, what we need to do is to give support to your son as the governor of Oyo state. And ensure that there is no hitch while this project is in the process of been completed.We are bonded together as a people and we want the quality of leadership that Seyi Makinde is giving in Oyo in Nigeria.
He stressed, ” if Seyi Makinde is a governor of injustice, you will never be happy the way I see you today. And so, today, we are to flag off, but when we come some other times, we will tell ourselves the whole truth”, saying, ” continue to support your government, continue to support your son, Engineer Seyi Makinde; continue to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)”
Governor, Makinde while speaking debunked insinuations that he is already plunging Oyo state into debts describing the news as fake, saying the increase in the project cost was as a result of increase the width of the road from 10.75m to 12.75m among others, and that the state government is executing the project using the Alternate Project Funding Approach (APFA).
“Some people are still confused as to how we are still flagging off projects when some states are finding it difficult to pay salaries. They do not understand how we are raising Oyo State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), building our economy and engineering a modern Oyo State”, he said.
Governor Makinde Makinde added, “and so, what do they do? They go to town with stories.Seyi Makinde is taking on hidden debts. He is going to turn our children into slaves. The debt he is leaving, we don’t know how many years it will take us to pay it. All lies, fake news and disinformation”.
“Our secret to carrying on these projects is the Alternate Project Funding Approach (APFA). And I can say it’s an open secret. Because from when we started using it, we have always been open and transparent about it. With APFA, the contractor funds the project, and we pay back over an agreed period of time. And let me make this clear: you have my word that not one Naira will be left unpaid to any contractor under APFA at the end of our current tenure.”
