By Adams Akorede
The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) Oyo state chapter on Friday said arrangements are in top gear to welcome its victorious National leader and former Governor of Oyo state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, at the Ibadan, toll gate end of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Saturday.
The party’s spokesman, Olajide Olanipekun in a press statement on Friday night, said: “the ZLP Oyo state members and supporters across 351 wards, while congratulating ourselves for the acquittal of our great leader, High Chief Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja by the Federal High Court, Lagos will welcome him to Ibadanland with pomp and pageantry.”
Olanipekun, a lawyer, said reasons for the celebration was premised on the fact that the man, Ladoja, as a Governor of the state, laboured hard for all categories of workers and welfare of the citizens was paramount in his mind.
“It is on record that Ladoja introduced qualitative education at 30 pupils per class which also saw many teachers getting promotions to the position of principals and vice principals.
“He rescued Ibarapa area infested with guineaworm and was giving subventions to run state owned-tertiary institutions which made LAUTECH to become the best state university and fifth best in Nigeria when adjudged alongside all federal and state institutions. He encouraged mechanised farming on Oke Ogun and fashola farm in Oyo and fruits in Ogbomosoland received government’s attention.
“He was giving traders loans to run their businesses. The transportation sector witnessed a boom because of the vehicles he procured for their use, and many more people-friendly policies for the masses, including non indigenes and all adherents of different religions.
“Till date, he is still living in Ondo street, Bodija Ibadan house which he built decades ago and had neither added a single block, nor built new house while serving or after leaving office as the state Governor.
“Ladoja is a contented man by all standard. He is nicknamed ‘Baba Alankara’ because of his love for simplicity and promotion of our traditional attires. He is loved by all and infrastructures he put in place are still enduring tests of time.
“His major regret lies in the fact that good governance he envisaged and was leading had since taken a flight after he left office in 2007. His only consolation lies in Barrister Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, the gubernatorial candidate of the ZLP who has been positioned to continue from where he stopped.
“The party is enjoining all lovers of democracy and rule of law to rejoice with us as we welcome Osi Olubadan to Ibadan on Saturday by 7am at the toll gate end of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway,” Olanipekun added.
