By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs on Friday in Ibadan, declared support for Governor Seyi Makinde second term ambition in the 2023 general elections.
Speaking at a meeting of royal fathers from across the state held at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, the Okere of Saki, Oba Khalid Olabisi , said the people of Oyo state are ready to re elect Gov Makinde come 2023.
The Okere of Saki stressed that Oyo state has witnessed tremendous progress under this government of Governor, adding, ” as traditional rulers, we have come to appreciate the governor for his unprecedented achievements in the state and we want continuity on what he started three years ago.”
Oba Olabisi stressed, ” we Obas convened this meeting today. Some weeks ago, we had this kind of gathering, Obas from Oke Ogun came to pay a courtesy visit to the Deputy Governor and to say thank you to the administration for the massive and unprecedented developments in Oke Ogun since this government came into office in 2019.”
” As the Oyo State Council of Obas, we felt that we should all come to appreciate the Governor on that larger scale, because Oyo State has witnessed tremendous progress under this government. As traditional rulers, we have come to appreciate the governor for his unprecedented achievements in the state and we want continuity on what he started three years ago”, he said.
The Okere added, ‘ by the special grace of God, we, the people of Oyo State, will re-elect the governor. The truth is, there are a lot more projects that need to be done and we believe someone like him would deliver because he can be trusted.”
“Before now, when we were coming to Ibadan from Oke Ogun, we used to come with two different clothes because of the situation of the road but now, the Moniya-Iseyin road was fixed less than a year after Makinde came into government.
In Yorubaland, we believe in rewarding good work with good deeds and that is why we will work to re-elect him in 2023″.
The Okere stressed, ” we are happy with the good works the Governor is doing and we are here to show gratitude to him. In a little over three years, the Ibadan-Iseyin Road has been delivered; construction works on Oyo-Iseyin Road, Ogbomoso-Iseyin Road and Saki-Ogbooro-Igboho Road are all ongoing.On the Saki Township Road, one governor started and abandoned it and when we complained to him that the abandonment of the road was making our people to die of respiratory diseases due to dust, that governor told us that our wives should be pouring water on the neglected road. The road has now been fixed by Governor Makinde within one year.
“For decades, Oke Ogun had no other higher institution except the Polytechnic in Saki. But this administration came in and gave us a university in Iseyin. Some people may say it is just a campus, but we know the import of that development. In Saki, there was no solid government hospital. But this government has established a world-class specialist hospital in Saki and equipped it.”
The Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Olusola Alao said “it takes a good leader and a prudent administrator to achieve everything Gov Makinde has been doing in Oyo and that traditional rulers in the state have resolved that the governor has been doing and should be allowed to continue in office.
“We Obas looked at it that it is right that we should convene this kind of meeting to appreciate our governor and declare our support for him. I used to be an accountant before I became a king. With my knowledge of accounting, I know the economic challenges we are facing as a nation and I know that it takes a good leader, a prudent and skillful administrator to do what the current government has done so far in Oyo State”,he said
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Oba Alao added, “we are aware that other governors in the states are owing workers’ salaries but Governor Makinde is not owing civil servants. Not only that, he pays salary and pension every 25th of the month. I need everybody here to know that we have not come to do politics but to talk about reality.
“We are not driven by emotions and sentiments but by Governor Makinde’s excellent performance.
“So, we can assure that we will work tirelessly for the re-election of the governor in 2023. God will help you and we will give you the needed support. As close as I am to the governor, I may not get something for myself, but I know the larger interest of the people of Oyo State is a priority to this government. He is Omoluabi- personified.”
High Chief Lateef Adebimpe, while speaking on behalf of the Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun said the state has, indeed, witnessed unprecedented development under the leadership of the incumbent governor.
Oyo state Acting Governor, Barrister Adebayo Lawal, appreciated the Obas for endorsing the governor for second term and that he would convey their messages to the governor.
“A few weeks ago, traditional rulers from Oke Ogun came to pay me a courtesy visit and to congratulate me. It is even more gratifying that today, all the traditional rulers in the state have come to eulogise this administration.So, I really thank you very much for this. This is well- acknowledged and will go down the history of this state that a running government is appreciated by the traditional rulers”
