Again, Oyo traditional rulers endorse Makinde for second term
The re-election bid of Governor Seyi Makinde has received a major boost following the endorsement of traditional rulers in Oyo west local government ahead of the 2023 general election.
MOUTHPIECE NGR reports that the endorsement comes just three days after every Mogaji (head of a family compound) in Ibadan unanimously urged the two leading candidates, Senator Teslim Folarin of the All Progressives Congress and Adebayo Adelabu of the Accord party, to wait until 2027 before supporting the governor for a second term.
As he ramps up his political campaign, Governor Seyi Makinde, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for governor, continues to get public endorsements from various political stakeholders, traditional leaders, and religious organizations.
On Tuesday, February 14, High Chief Mukaila Afonja and other traditional rulers (baales) from different domains in the region spoke to journalists at a press conference at the Oyo west local government Secretariat.
They praised Makinde for his administration’s welfare policies, particularly those pertaining to the wellbeing of traditional rulers.
In his remarks, Prince Akeem Salam Olukitibi, the executive chairman of Oyo West Local Government, expressed his sincere gratitude to Governor Makinde for being a proactive and practical governor and guaranteeing the completion of all projects he initiated.
He also praised the governor for the ongoing construction of the Fashola farm estate, which he called unprecedented and said would give Oyo sons and daughters in diaspora confidence to return home in the future to take advantage of the facility and the good governance that permeates the entire state.
“Let’s talk about how we have enjoyed governor Makinde’s administration under Omituntun 1.0 in terms of power supply at night in Oyo town especially in Owode to Gedu, down to Oke-afon, there’s nothing we can no longer do in term of commercial activities at night. Talk about education, go to model school at Isokun, and other areas like that, even the burden of paying 3000 compulsory fee has seen drastic reduction in our out of school children.
“Governor Makinde even went further to provide text and exercise books for our students, public students are now returning to public schools because of the quality and standard of education and its facilities provided by our performing governor. We must also specially thank our governor for the agricultural revolution and what’s happening at Fashola in both farm and estate, we can not exhaust the count, we just want to thank governor Makinde and reaffirm our readiness for Omituntun 2.0.” Olukitibi said.
When listing the various improvements made to the Oyo kingdom, High Chief Tella, the Onosokun, praised Makinde in particular for continuing the unfinished projects left by past administrations and for his vow to raise the stipends of traditional rulers from 5 to 10%.
The executive chairman of Oyo west local government, prince Olukitibi, was praised by other traditional leaders for consistently promoting Oyo town’s interests and aiding the arrival of customary court in the region. They specifically complimented the governor for completing Akesan market quickly and with modern amenities.
They particularly commended the executive chairman on leading the resolution to the boundary disputes with Iseyin along Odo-ogun area of the local government as well as the resuscitation of Fashola farm settlements that had hitherto, gone moribund before the administration of Seyi Makinde.
They also applauded Makinde’s educational policies, programs, and investments for how they have helped Fashola Grammar School become a model institution for other schools in Oyo West and ensured that Makinde has earned the support he is receiving from various political stakeholders in the state.
Baale Elepe Iseke also commended Makinde for the completion of Oroki road by singing a special rendition for the governor, saying his policies and programs have directly impacted lives of the people especially traditional leaders in positive ways which according to him is evident in their improved quality of life and standard of living.
He added that consistent payment of workers salary on or before 25th of every month has greatly improved on household finance adding that Makinde’s humility and friendly disposition to people around him as well as seeks to see him have made him uniquely different from previous governors.
The traditional leaders praised Makinde for various completed projects and developmental programs spread across the local government and beyond including Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, completion of Awe road among others insisting that traditional leaders in Oyo west remain solidly behind governor Makinde and successful completion of his second term.
They however, appealed to the governor to expedite action on formally inaugurating traditional rulers compromising the leadership of the customary court in order to continue with the official duties assigned to them via their appointments by the state government.
They also appealed to the governor for rehabilitation of dilapidated schools in the area, encourage teachers more with incentives that will engender improved teaching techniques as well as internal roads within the local government noting that completed and ongoing rehabilitation of roads have directly improved on mobility within and around the local government assuring that the traditional leaders will continue to give governor Makinde all needed support to succeed more.