When you are good at what you do, and you are doing so with all sincerity of purpose, even if detractors, mostly the oppositions, assemble in their large numbers to scream falsehood all over the place, you will always triumph, and genuine and greater voices will be speaking louder in your favor.
Let us go down the memory lane, when Governor Seyi Makinde was sworn in on May 29th, 2019 in Ibadan, Oyo State Capital. As part of his inaugural speech, was to bring Oyo State out of the precipice, and return the State to a place the citizens home and abroad can be proud of. In less than 24 months, this is already happening and being celebrated by all lovers of good governance across the world. The speech he made on that day was not mere words of mouth, but targeted and deliberate efforts to revamp the rusty city into a modern and commercial city, as the true pacesetter State.
For the singular leadership style of Governor Seyi Makinde (GSM), the reputation of Oyo State has changed for good with positive ratings amongst Nigerians and in the eyes of the world.
The governor who has been a major player in his field in the private sector, emphatically told the mammoth crowd that, payment of salaries to workers is not a privilege but RIGHT and entitlement, because for those who labored, they must be rewarded for their labor. If you look through the verses in both the Bible and Quran, most revered holy books, this is the same thing it says about payment of wages to workers. Rewards for labor must be paid as and when due, Governor Seyi Makinde, a man who has the fear of God, and respect for the dignity of workers, has not failed for one day to pay salaries, since he was elected as the Oyo State Governor.
Payment of wages and salaries is not what must be specially celebrated in a regular society, but we must talk and give commendations, knowing the kind of society we have found ourselves, where workers in most of the States in Nigeria are being owed several months and years of unpaid salaries, pension and gratuity without any hope of payment. So, when a governor is not paying his State workers with excuses, prorated or half salaries but fully implemented minimum wage, we must join those who are in support of this genuine commendation to loud his efforts and achievements. And I believe Oyo State Civil Servants will love to continue to enjoy this unfailing payments, haven experience the past and what is on their table now and in the next dispensation.
The Governor, in his humane and kindheartedness, has also continued to offset the outstanding pension and gratuity left by his predecessors. Not only that, there are people who were indiscriminately terminated from their jobs, are now being reinstated. All these can only be done by a man who has love and compassion for human development of his people.
Another May 29th is approaching in the next few days, making it two years Oyo State people handed their mandate to Governor Seyi Makinde, we can count the number of months the Oyo State Civil servants have been collecting their salaries without fail for just a day, month or months, unlike what is obtainable elsewhere that we all know.
How Seyi Makinde is able to do these things?, and still massively revamping Oyo economy, reducing piled up local and foreign debts left by his predecessors, refusing to raise tax, yet IGR is increasing, massive work and constructions ongoing at every corner you turn to in the State.
Maybe soon, Governor Seyi Makinde may come up with leadership, mentoring and learning series for all Nigerians to learn how he is making governance so easy like ABC, for the benefit of all aspiring leaders and Nigerians in general.
On a news platform on SM, I stumbled on the commendation credited to a former Governor, a widely respected statesman and foremost leader in Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, and it reads, “Seyi Makinde makes me Proud. Workers never complained about him” – Ladoja
This statement looks very short but it is very heavy, because, it is a huge vote of confidence on Governor Seyi Makinde, and this shows that the affairs of Oyo State is being piloted in the right directions.
When a foremost and very important figure like Senator Ladoja publicly make this kind of commendable outburst, then, those who has been looking for fault to criticize the government should have a Rethink.
Once again, I congratule the good people of Oyo State for making the best and right decision in 2019 by electing Seyi Makinde. I urge them to keep supporting and allow him to consolidate his achievements in the next chapter.
- Laja Adeoye