By Oluwakemi Ishola
Ex governor of Oyo State and Chairman Reconciliation Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, has advised Governor Seyi Makinde to desist from insulting former governors in the State.
Otunba Alao-Akala made the admonition during an interaction with journalists at the 3rd empowerment programme organised by Senator Abdulfatai Buhari of Oyo North Senatorial District, held on Thursday in Iseyin.
It will be recalled that Engr. Makinde, while inaugurating the Light-Up Oyo project 2 in Ogbomoso on Wednesday, said that his administration was delivering on its campaign promise to use the state’s resources to impact the people of the state. Judging by his administration’s achievements, the governor took a swipe at the opposition and vowed that “charlatans” would no longer govern Oyo State.
In reaction to the Engr. Makinde’s derogatory remarks, Otunba Alao-Akala said: “I don’t believe he said that. If he said that he is making a mistake. You don’t address your predecessors as charlatans. You don’t do that. It is unstatesmanly. You just have to talk like a statesman that he is going to be after he must have left office.
“You would see the way we have been addressing him. None of us who has been in that office before has ever addressed him that he is not doing very well. He is doing his best. The best may not be enough for the people. When it is time for campaign, we will campaign. But don’t use that word ‘charlatan’ was unstatesmanly for him to use.”
Speaking on the empowerment, Senator Buhari said “I am doing this for the benefit of my constituents. Some people will benefit today. And this could be the only thing they will benefit in this democracy. So, I am proud that I am doing it.
“There is no way you can satisfy your people. Even with this, there is no way you can satisfy them. But I am happy that some people will be happy today.”
While reeling out his achievements in the last six years, the Ogbomoso-born lawmaker said he had sponsored 19 bills and 11 motions, which included a Bill for the establishment of a Federal University of Technology and Agriculture in Oke Ogun. He expressed optimism that the bill will be signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, soon.
Twenty monarchs and party leaders went home with 20 saloon cars while 270 motorcycles, 600 grinding machines, 250 sewing machines, 100 laptops, 80 deep freezers, 100 backpack sprayer and chemicals were distributed during the third edition of Sen. AbdulFatai Buhari’s empowerment programme.
Other constituents went home with cash support of N20,000 for 100 widows; cash support of N20,000 for 100 elders and most vulnerable; N20,000 bursary for 100 students; N100,000 for 10 selected youths and N10,000,000 for selected communities.
Otunba Alao-Akala, chairman of the APC in Oyo State, Senator Teslim Folarin, Dr. Yunus Akintunde, Honourables Olajide Olatubosun, Shina Peller and Olumide Ojerinde and others who spoke at the event commended Buhari, who chairs the Senate committee on land transport for his giant strides and thanked him for representing his constituents very well.
Dignitaries at the events included APC leaders from the state and zones, federal lawmakers, traditional rulers from the zone and others.
