How i want to be remembered

The Governor of Oyo state, Engr Seyi Makinde, has described building an enduring institutions and leaving a legacy of good governance and services as very important, saying it is how he wants to be remembered after the expiration of his tenure. Makinde, who was rumored to be eyeing the presidential seat in 2027 stated this in Iseyin, Oyo state while hosting the People Democratic Party (PDP) Press Corps at a dinner retreat. He said, “I am old enough to know if I want to do something.

I will come out and say, this is what I want to do.” Dispelling the rumour, his responses partly reads: “So, there should be no speculations and nobody can push my agenda. “I will push my agenda by myself when the time comes.

” The youthful and working number one man in Oyo state noted that contrary to many expectations, he would like to be remembered, not for the roads he constructed, the airport or other infrastructure provided but for the institutions that he is trying to build such that good governance would be guaranteed in Oyo state for many years to come. He also told the media to brace up, saying the country must not be allowed to slide into a one-party state. Makinde, one of the G-5 Governors, a political group which was formed to advocate for power shift to the Southern part of the country prior to the 2023 presidential election said: “We didn’t do this because, somebody has a presidential ambition.

“No comment, nothing. But all I can say to you is, I’m old enough to say if I want to do something, I will come out and say, this is what I want to do. “So, no speculation and nobody can push my agenda.

I will push my agenda myself when the time comes. “Iam glad that you’ve been able to go to a few of our project sites. Where you are right now is Fashola agribusines hub.

It is a farm estate and a space for agro-tourism. “This is supposed to be the middle of nowhere. It was an idea conceptualized during, Chief Obafemi Awolowo time as a Premier of Western region.

“Here they were breeding cattles, the mother cattles, the breeders that you would now take somewhere else to breed and sell and eat, But Nigeria happened to this place, they ate the breeder and the mothers. “Less than 500 meters from here, you have a building in there. Its been there for years and they’re still there.

So, we’re refurbishing all of that so that we can tell our story. That, once upon a time, there was a country that built Cocoa House from efforts like this. “it was the first skyscraper south of Sahara.

If you go to Dugbe today, after that first one, we’ve not been able to build a second one. “If you go to Israel, Tel Aviv, I saw their first skyscraper. It was built six years after Cocoa House, but, if you go around Tel Aviv today, they have almost 2,000 other skyscrapers in there.

And we have not even built a second one. “So, it’s just an opportunity to show you that a long time ago, thinkers passed through this place, did certain things and for us, we want to bring some of these things back and see how we can utilize it to make life a little better for our people. “From what we know, you mentioned to me, I think you went to Iseyin, LAUTEC campus, the School of Agricultural, and College of Natural Resources.

Well, this road that you passed to this place is a federal road built by Oyo state government. It took us two years to get the federal government approval. And the road is 34 kilometers.

It’s a major link between one zone of the state, Oyo Zone, linking Oke-ogun Zone. “We have five geopolitical zones in Oyo State. We have Ibadan Zone, we have Oyo Zone, Oke Ogun zone, Ibarapa zone, Ogbomoso zone.

“So, this is a major link between Oyo Zone, linking Okeogun Zone, and it is also passing through a major agro industrial zone. So, I said to them, we don’t care about Whether it’s a federal road, it’s a state road, it’s a local government road, all we want is, we want to expand our economy and we also want our people to pass on a smooth road. “Whether federal government will fix it or state government or local government, just fix the road.

If you stand at the gate house there for maybe 15 minutes, at least you must count close to almost 15, 20 trucks carrying cassava all over the place. “If you have gone a little further than the school, you will have sent the cassava to servitor service. “They are expanding and we are not waiting for federal government.

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. “I will say we want to be remembered, not for roads.

We built the airport. We built the local government, or the roads we constructed but 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.”.