A cultural icon and the Maye Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oloye Lekan Alabi, has described Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, as a pragmatic leader whose focus is on developing his people and the state.
Alabi, who served four governors of the old Oyo State, including Chief Bola Ige and General Oladayo Popoola, as a Press Secretary, disclosed this in an interview with The People’s Verdict.
According to the Ibadan Senior Chief, Makinde’s good deeds predated his assumption of office as governor.
He said, “Before he became the governor, he was helping widows, the poor and the weak from his private pocket, giving scholarships and all that through his Omituntun Foundation. Till today, my perception of Governor Makinde is that of a pragmatist, somebody who puts things down on the drawing table, analysing the pros and the cons with his engineering background. Governor Seyi Makinde is a pragmatist and a philanthropist, someone who is humble and reliable.
“I am not surprised at what we are seeing about democracy and his approach to constitutionality. So for him and his government to have devoted attention to providing infrastructure, such as motorable roads, potable water and reliable power supply shows that this is a pragmatist who wants development for the state and its people.”
The first Cultural Ambassador of National Museum and Monuments, Ile Ife, Osun State, who lauded Governor Makinde for his impactful projects, singled out the reconstruction of the Bashorun-Akobo-Ashi road as the most significant to him.
His words, “I have been a resident on this estate for almost 30 years. We knew what we faced before the Bashorun-Akobo-Ashi Road and the General Gas Bridge were opened. Between BCOS, Ile Akede and Bashorun Market, we could spend two hours crawling that distance. But since the day the Bashorun-Akobo Road was opened, we have become free from traffic holdups. So, Governor Makinde’s project that has impacted most on me as a resident of Akobo Estate is the Bashorun-Akobo Road and the General Gas Flyover.”
Oloye Alabi, who harped on the need for people to be factual and truthful, said Governor Makinde deserved to be lauded and applauded for transforming the state.
He said, “We must tell the truth. If somebody does well, please praise them. God himself admonishes us to do that. We must praise good people and their works. Governor Makinde has done well in engineering the society, particularly in the area of infrastructure.”
While praising the governor for the prompt payment of salaries and pensions, the cultural icon said, “His good deed to pensioners and government workers in terms of prompt payment of their salaries and allowances is remarkable. Yes, the government owes the duty of paying salaries and allowances. As a journalist, in and out of government, I stand by the fact that we shouldn’t praise governments that pay salaries and allowances. Are they paying from their private pockets? But at the same time, we must look at the converse. Why are workers being owed salaries and allowances by some governments, local governments, states and the federal government? I give that to him, too, and his government.”
Speaking on the employment generation efforts of the government, Oloye Alabi said, “Thousands of graduates were recently employed, which is good. Once people are employed, they earn salaries or allowances, and they can feed themselves and their families, they worry less. I also applaud his government’s employment policy.”
On the governor’s effort to improve security in the state, the veteran journalist said, “I support the creation of state police forces because they are the closest to the grassroots. So, I commend the Oyo State Government under Governor Makinde and the Oodua State governments for that initiative called Amotekun.”
Acknowledging that Governor Makinde has made Ibadan proud, the Maye Olubadan said, “With due respect to Kabiyesi Olubadan, as his Senior Chief, Maye Olubadan, I have Kabiyesi’s authority by saying that if Governor Makinde had not done us proud would he have been bestowed with the honour he has been given? I am always amazed by his humility, he relates well with people. I see him as somebody well brought up.”
The septuagenarian expressed his profound appreciation to Governor Makinde for embarking on the upgrade of Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan.
He said, “Look at what he is doing with the Ladoke Akintola Airport which is being upgraded to international standards. That means from Ibadan we can fly to London, Jerusalem, and Saudi Arabia. It is a good thing.”
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