Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde has revealed that the immediate past administration in the state led by Senator Abiola Ajimobi frustrated efforts he made to fix some roads and water facilities in some parts of the state.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, in a statement in Ibadan, said the governor while addressing people at a civic reception in his honour at his ancestral village, Ajia, in Ona Ara Local Government Area of the state, former governor Ajimobi did not allow his efforts to materialise.
At the event which was organised by the Ajia community and Its Environs Descendant Union, the governor disclosed that his administration was in talks with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for an upgrade of Ibadan Airport to facilitate Cargo operations and international flights, adding that agro-allied services would benefit heavily from the impending upgrade of the airport located at Alakia.
“I have begun discussion with the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and they have given us certain conditions on the upgrade of our airport so that it can accommodate bigger aircrafts.
“When that is done, those travelling from Osun, Ekiti and Ondo will not need to get to Lagos before boarding flights and what that tells you is that Ajia and other rural communities around the airport as well as the economy of Oyo State, will soon witness a new dawn”, he said.
Makinde also told a jubilant crowd of Ajia residents that he would soon begin the reconstruction of the Ajia road, revealing that as a private citizen, he had offered to construct the road but that the previous administration in the state turned down the offer.
He also stated that he had equally faced similar hostility from the previous administration in the state whose agents destroyed the borehole and the equipment deployed by his contractor when he was trying to build a borehole for Alesinloye Market in the state capital.
Makinde who restated his commitment towards fulfilling all his campaign promises to the people of the state, noted that his administration has begun different efforts to see to the development of infrastructure, education, agriculture and health sectors in the state.
He said people of Oyo State should get prepared for unprecedented development with him at the helm of affairs in the state.
He admonished the youths in Ajia and across the state to take their education seriously by making judicious use of the free education policy of his administration so as to become useful and productive to themselves and the society.
The governor further said: “It has been said that a prophet is without honour in his own town. But today, the people of Ajia, my kinsmen, have honoured me and you have not made selfish demands from us, you have asked us to govern with integrity and the fear of God; you have warned us to be wary of sycophants and to continue to pay attention to the welfare of the people as we have been doing.
“I assure you that we will do all these and many more in fulfilment of our promises.”
He declared that in a matter of weeks the state government would review the Iyana-Agbala Road Project and make it a priority, noting that his administration would pay full attention to the development of rural settlements across the state.
Earlier, a foremost Head of Service in the State, Pa. Theophilus Akinyele, expressed joy that Ajia Village could produce the governor of Oyo State after producing about three Heads of Service in the state.
He urged Governor Makinde to continue to place premium on the welfare of people as he had been doing as a private citizen and called on him to make Ajia a model village as it obtains in South Africa and some other places.
Also in his welcome address, chairman, Ajia and Its Environs Descendants Union, Engr. Amos Fakayode, commended Makinde for making Ajia and Oyo State proud through his achievements within the first 100 days in the office.
He noted that the community was neither disappointed nor surprised at the giant strides of Governor Makinde, adding that as a private citizen, the governor had singlehandedly provided electricity to the community.
He said, “We welcome Governor Seyi Makinde to Ajia, his ancestral root. We are grateful to God and proud of you. As you have started well, may you end well. We have been hearing of you, many states are making you the reference point. We, your kinsmen, are proud of your achievements in 100 days. We believe you can do more and we want you to do more, because we want to remain proud of you after you might have left office.”
He appealed to the governor to provide good road networks into and out of Ajia; pay attention to the employment and empowerment of its youths and above all, make it a model village with model primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, among others. (Leadership NG)
