AS I promised in my open letter to the people of Oyo State in December 2018, I will be the people’s governor. I will run an all-inclusive government for the benefit of everyone in our dear state regardless of their tribe, religion, social class or political affiliations.
“I believe that being a leader should not be seen as a leeway to dominate and dictate but as a privilege and opportunity to serve, leaving a lasting legacy of positive change and continued growth.
“Oyo State is the pacesetter state. We are determined to continue setting the pace. We are poised to continue moving forward by focusing on the right priorities.”
That was vintage Governor Seyi Makinde in his inaugural speech on May 29, 2019 to the citizens of the state. In restating the mission and vision of his government, he promised to break new grounds, carry the citizens along in the scheme of things and open a new vista in public administration. And in breaking new grounds, Makinde has also proved to be a political leader who believes that a hero or heroine deserves honour at home and more importantly, while he is still alive.
It is hardly the norm in the African society to celebrate men and women that excel when they are still alive. Such gestures are often reserved till when such heroes and heroines have passed on. However, there is a gradual paradigm shift in such tendency in Oyo State. The heroes are not just being accorded their rightful place while they are alive, they are given special privileges and honour by the government.
Former governors of the state, including Alhaji Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja and Dr Victor Olunloyo, have received esteemed recognition for their incredible contributions and commitment to the development of the state. The government has displayed uncommon gesture and appreciation for their courage to stand firm and exhibit abiding faith in the steady progress of the state in the last three and half years through legacy projects and outstanding leadership content. The gestures to the elder statesmen have also included donation of vehicle, for example, to a former governor to enhance his comfort in his continued support and collaboration on the values that consolidate the state as the veritable pacesetter in the country.
The gesture of appreciation has not been restricted to those living legends of the state; those distinguished sons and daughters of the state who have passed on are being duly recognised and celebrated by the Makinde administration. For about a week, the government made sure that the late Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala did not only receive an impressive state burial. Makinde ensured that the state stood still for the remains of the mercurial politician at every stage of the final rites. It was, indeed, a celebration of life for the astute politician, who was loved by the high and the low in the society for his service to humanity and doggedness in the face of injustice and dishonesty.
The state burial attracted eminent persons cutting across all spheres of life, including politicians from different political parties in the country. Many of the leaders were full of praises for Makinde for the political maturity just as many other prominent citizens usually eulogised him during other public and private functions for rising above primordial sentiments and issues.
Recently, Makinde in his usual respect and honour for the cerebral and iconic Dr Olulonyo, paid a visit to the Molete Ibadan home of the former governor of the state. He rehabilitated his 1947 residence and presented the former governor with a Toyota Land cruiser jeep. Accompanied by other top government officials, Makinde held a meeting with Olunloyo. After receiving the gift, the ex-governor asked one of his aides to pray for the governor and the success of his administration. Then Makinde used the occasion to take a tour of the former governor’s residence, which he recently had renovated.
Olunloyo praised Makinde for what he called his good works, praying that the governor would continue to record successes. “You have done well by giving befitting burial to the departed monarch, including the Soun of Ogbomoso and the Olubadan of Ibadanland. I thank you for all the projects you are doing. You are doing very well,” Olunloyo said.
It is noteworthy that Olunloyo was a guest of the governor to flag off the construction of the 34.85-kilometre Oyo-Iseyin Road and the dualisation of the 10.82-kilometre Ibadan Airport Road and several adjoining link roads. Olunloyo had commended Makinde’s courageous and quality leadership in the state.
Meanwhile, Makinde, who described Alao-Akala as a great man, who recognised and lived his life in accordance with the biblical teaching that there is a time and a season for everything, assured that the government would immortalise the deceased. Accordingly, he disclosed at the Beulah Baptist Conference Centre, Ogbomoso, venue of the burial service for the late former governor that a committee headed by his Chief of Staff, Honourable Segun Ogunwuyi, would work on how best to honour Alao-Akala. He praised the ex-governor for putting aside party differences to work for the progress of the state when he (Makinde) informed him of a plan to flag off the Ogbomoso-Fapote-Iseyin road.
Makinde said: “In Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, the Bible says ‘there is time for everything under the sun.’ In the last conversation I had with Governor Alao-Akala, I called to inform him that I would like him to be the one to flag off the Ogbomoso-Fapote-Iseyin Road project, and he said to me, ‘Seyi, just call to give 48 hours notice, and I will be there.’ He knew there was a time to tear down and a time to rebuild together. The former governor recognised the fact that that particular time was not the time for us to project our political differences but a time to come together in the interest of Oyo State.”
Makinde also disclosed that apart from supporting the family of the governor, he would redeem whatever pledge Alao-Akala made to students of the Ogbomoso Baptist Conference College. “As for the children who came with a request, I know how you feel and I will champion the cause to redeem whatever it is the late Governor Alao-Akala has promised them. Finally, I have been going around to determine how we can honour our great man from Oyo State. And we have set up a committee headed by the Chief of Staff. If you also have any advice in this regard, let us know and, within the shortest period of time, the government of Oyo State will ensure that he is adequately honoured. On that note, I want to say farewell to a great man, my brother, my mentor and a great son of Ogbomosoland.”
The final rites were graced by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who described Alao-Akala as a humane and simple man who played politics with an open mind. Osinbajo said: “Everywhere Alao-Akala went in his days as governor, you would hear the chant of ‘O yato.’ Of course, he really did many things differently in office. He significantly improved the IGR of the state from a paltry N300 million to N1 billion in eight months and put in place a very good security architecture. Alao-Akala practically demonstrated what is possible when you have creativity and compassion. Since his transition in January, I have read several glowing tributes to his memory and the common refrain running through all of those tributes has been the attestation to his uncommon generosity. He was indeed a simple and humane man who practised politics with an open mind. Many testified that his resources were available to all and his home was there for anyone to come for help.”
Other dignitaries at the burial service for the deceased included a former president of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani; Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Sunday Dare and Governor Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti). Both Governors Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (Kwara) and Prince Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) were represented by their deputies, while their Ondo state counterpart, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu was represented by his Commissioner for Information, Mr. Donald Ojogo. Other dignitaries included former Governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State and Senator Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State; Senators Fatai Buhari and Ayoade Adeseun; former House Leader, Mulikat Akande-Adeola. On the entourage of Governor Makinde were the Deputy Governor, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan; Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun; chairman of the Oyo State Advisory Council, Senator Hosea Agboola, commissioners and chairmen of parastatal-agencies, among others.
At the time Makinde came into office, the PDP in the South-West was still enmeshed in a protracted crisis. There were factions in all the six state chapters. Many stakeholders had different issues and scores to settle among themselves. So, Makinde quickly moved to bring everybody under the same roof. The peace effort culminated into the PDP South-West PDP rally that was held at Mapo Hall in Ibadan in the early days of the administration. It was indeed a historic moment, as for the first time in many years, all the aggrieved leaders and other members of the PDP in the zone came together, embraced and spoke in unison to sustain the camaraderie, work together and ensure victory for the PDP in subsequent elections in the country. Since then, the PDP elders from the zone have sustained the unity and cooperation achieved at the rally.
The positive impact of the peace effort of the governor soon began to manifest in other areas within the PDP family in the zone. One of the positives was the conduct of a zonal congress to elect a new PDP South-West executive. The exercise witnessed much horse-trading, and at the end of the intraparty election, a new set of leaders for the party emerged to run the affairs of the largest party in Africa.
Beyond building bridges in the zone, the governor has been playing a key role at the centre in repositioning the PDP. He was central to all activities that led to the emergence of a Third Republic president of the Senate, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, as the chairman of the new national executives of the PDP. Makinde has also been a motivator in the quest by the PDP to carve a niche for itself as a bastion of democracy through adherence to party constitution, coupled with recognition of the supremacy of the party above any individual or caucus. This new attitude, a shift from the reign of impunity in the past in the political space, has, in no small measure, ensured stability, peace and progress in the PDP across the board, such that Makinde’s colleagues share their experiences with him from time to time, especially on his uncommon approach to resolving knotty and crunchy issues.
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