Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and his Osun State counterpart, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, jointly opened the 91 km Ibadan-Iwo-Osogbo road reconstruction/rehabilitation for economic development in an effort to foster regional integration.
Government officials, traditional leaders, and party supporters from both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were present for the flag-off ceremony, which was held across from the Aje International Market on Iwo Road in Ido, Osun State.
Governor Makinde underlined during his speech at the event that the two states had pioneered a revolution in ideas, adding that politics and party ties should be put aside to properly meet the needs of the populace.
When built, the route, according to Governor Makinde, will make it easier for people to travel between the states, boosting trade and commerce.
“I know, when people hear the word revolution, they often think of bloody wars that lead to change in a political order. Well, don’t be alarmed, I am not here to preach violence. Rather, I am here to talk about a different kind of revolution that is happening in Oyo State.”
“You know, revolutions always bring to birth a new order, a new way of doing things. And so, the revolution in Oyo State has led to us changing the former ways of doing things. In the past, every state used to mind their own business and operate in their own little corners. But with this new way of doing things, we are pursuing collaborations with our sister states.”
“When we just came in, we started on this path with one of the biggest collaborations in the history of south west states. We all came together and decided on creating the Western Nigeria Security Network code named Amotekun. And in 2020, we operationalised the Oyo-Amotekun. As I have said on many occasions, our people cannot imagine life without Amotekun.”
“Also, just about two years ago, we celebrated another win that resulted from this revolution. My brother, our host for this flag-off, His Excellency Gboyega Oyetola, the Executive Governor of Osun State, was a big part of that history. He benevolently acceded to granting us sole ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), which made it possible for me to fulfill a campaign promise to the good people of Oyo State.”
“I mentioned earlier that in Oyo State, we are leading a revolution. We are saying politics should be left to those few months when INEC says we should begin campaigning either for elections or re-election. Even then, we must practice politics of justice and fairness without bitterness and rancour.”
“The revolution we are leading in Oyo State, is a revolution of thought. Again, we are saying, governance must always trump politics. When we make decisions, we must always put the interests of our people first.”
“Of course, you already know that my brother, the Governor of Osun State is from an opposing party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), while I belong to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Despite this difference, we have accomplished things that people from the same party were unable to do. This is the revolution we are talking about.”
Earlier, Governor Gbeyoga Oyetola of Osun State said the project was in fulfillment of his electioneering promises and his administration’s resolve to provide quality roads on an equitable basis and ingrain sustainable economic development.
He noted that the road is one of the internal roads of the old Oyo State that connects Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, to Osogbo, the capital of Osun State.
I urge road users in Osun and Oyo States as well as those outside of them to use the road wisely by abstaining from any actions that could defeat the goal of the road, he continued.
While stressing the qualities of the road project, the commissioners for works and transportation for Osun and Oyo states, Professor Daud Sangodoyin and Remi Omowaiye, concurred that the project’s completion would be to the people’s great benefit.
