*As Governor says he wants to be
remembered for building institutions that will guarantee good governance
By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja
It has become a common thing or a norm in Nigeria, like in some other places, for aspirants seeking political offices to have what is popularly referred to as ‘god fathers’. These god fathers usually help these aspirants (god sons/god daughters) to clinch or emerge victorious in such political endeavors/contests, without much stress.
For example, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is known to be a political god father to many politicians in Lagos State in particular and the South West geo-political zone in general. Tinubu, even before becoming the President of Nigeria, had assisted many politicians emerge as Governors, Senators, House of Representatives members and Chairmen of Local Government Areas among others.
In virtually all the States of the federation, the ‘god fathers’ phenomenon abound. From Rivers to Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Borno, Edo, Delta, Ebonyi and Kano states, among others, the story is not different. The god father/god son relationship, most time, often end up in serious crisis and arch enemity. Often times, the god father finds it difficult to accept the stark reality that the new helmsman in power needs to have free hand to take some decisions, without being dictated to or teleguided, in the overall interest of the generality of those who elected him. Examples of states where god father/god son relationship has gone awry include Rivers and Kaduna among others.
However, there are still few instances where politicians get elected into offices purely on their self recognition, merit and qualities, without the influence of god fathers. One of such States is Oyo, where Engineer Seyi Makinde was elected Governor in 2019 and re-elected in 2024, without any god father. Where politicians get elected into political offices without god fathers, they are always their ‘own men, without any dictation from any quarters on what to do and/or what not to do.
This, without any iota of doubt, has assisted Makinde, an Electrical Engineer by training, to have been able to record some laudable achievements in the ‘Pacesetter State’ and political headquarters of South West politics. These various achievements, which are visibly spread in all parts of Oyo State, have no doubt been making life better for the people of the State.
During the recently concluded 3-day retreat in Ibadan, the state capital, by members of the PDP Press Corps from Abuja, the Governor attested to the fact of not having any political god father, which has assisted him in the area of performance and achievements within his slightly over 5 years in office.
Speaking with members of delegation of the PDP Press Corps at the Fashola Agribusiness Industrial Hub, Fasola, Oyo, which belongs to the State government, Governor Makinde said, “So you (media practitioners) as
opinion molders, as people that will let the world know that this is where we’re going, one takeaway from this engagement is that Nigeria must not slide into a one-party state. It’s what I want you to take out from here. Reflect on it.
“Oyo people took a decision. In 2019. We did not have godfather. Nobody sponsored me. Nobody gave a dime for us to get in there.
“But the people of Oyo state decided that they want to give this opportunity to an outsider.
“Before that time, you people say Seyi, what has he done before? Has he been a councilor? No. Has he been to the State House of Assembly? No. Has he been to House of Representatives? No. How about Senate? I tried twice. I was rejected.
“No experience in politics, No experience in governance, but I have done well for myself in business. And before that time, the entire Southwest was APC.The entire Southwest. All the six states.
“But Oyo State said, no, we dare to be different. And because I didn’t have no experience, I wanted to convince the people.
“So we produced a document, Roadmap to Accelerate Development of Oyo State 2019 to 2023. And I said to the people, look, this is the black and white, hold me accountable to this.
“And they gave us the opportunity and we saw it as a lifetime opportunity to change the narrative.
“In Nigeria, we have the talents, we have the intellects.
“Anyway, let’s not slide into a one-party state so that we can give others the opportunity so you can showcase what is possible in Nigeria”, he expressly stated.
The Governor posited strongly that the best way to fix Nigeria is to be productive and not just depending on the monthly federal allocation.
In his words, “We know that how to fix this country is to be productive. It is not about federal allocation. It is not about us going cap in hand every four weeks to Abuja to say, give us money. No. We want to be productive.
“The people that started this whole thing, they never went anywhere. They were generating their own resources here. And we have enough”, he said.
The list of achievement of Governor Makinde cuts across; road infrastructure, education, health, housing, security and agriculture among many others.
Some of his infrastructural facilities include; the 76km Alao-Akala Highway connecting Iseyin-Fapote-Ogbomoso,
the 65km Moniya-Ijaiye-Ibadan Road,
ongoing construction of 110km Senator Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road, the 34.8km Oyo-Iseyin Road, 12.5km Theophilus Akinyele Road connecting Alao-Akala Express-Benbo-Jankata-Apata Road, 7.8km Old Ife-Alakia-Airport Road-Onipepeye Underpass with spur to Adegbayi Junction, 38.48km Feeder Roads in Ibadan including Challenge-Ring Road-110 Roundabout, Beere-Molete Road, Tribune-Ososami Road, Iyaganku-NUJ Press Centre-Ring Road, Oke Adu-Aremo-Orita Aperin and
Idi Arere-Popoyemoja-Oke Ado Road
7.) Agodi Gate-Civic Centre-Basorun-Iwo Road Junction Improvements.
Others include; ongoing upgrading of Ibadan Airport to an international airport, including the construction of 500,000 Litres Aviation Fuel Storage and Dispensing Facility, ongoing 11 Megawatts Independent Power Project, Secretariat, Ibadan, construction of ultramodern Local Government Service Commission Complex, Secretariat,
construction of Bus Terminals, ongoing Iwo Road Bus Terminal and Ojoo Bus Terminal.
The various educational achievement so far recorded under Makinde’s administration include; he sole ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, construction of the Faculty of Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources, Iseyin, upgrading of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education to a University of Education,
construction of over 70 Model Schools across the state and ongoing renovation of 105 public primary schools across the state.
Under Agribusiness, list include; Construction of Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub, Fasola, Oyo with many international agribusiness companies already subscribed and construction of Farmers’ Market, Akinyele Local Government, Ibadan.
In the area of Health, Makinde’s government has the following to his credit; Renovation and equipment of 264 Primary Health Centres across the state, Idi Ogungun PHC, Agodi Gate, Iwo Road PHC, renovation and equipment of General Hospitals across the state.
In view of the importance attached to security in the State, Makinde’s administration has: set up the Oyo City Watch and Crime Alert Platform as well as activate the Citizen Emergency Number, 615, and the distribution of security vehicles to all security agencies in Oyo State.
The Governor also has the Lere Adigun Housing Estate, Bashorun, Ibadan to his credit.
Commenting on the various achievements of his administration so far, the Governors said, “We want to be remembered, not for roads we built, the airport we built, the local government or the road we constructed.
“We want to be remembered for the institutions that we’re trying to build such that good governance will be guaranteed in Oyo State, irrespective of who is coming in. And we are succeeding”, he maintained.
