The governor of Oyo State, ‘Seyi Makinde, has said that that it does not take eternity to turn things around in Nigeria.
To buttress his statement , the governor pointed to the geometric progression that a Christian ministry, Victory International Church, Ibadan, has shown.
The governor, who said this on Sunday, October 20, at Dominion University, Ibadan, Wonder City, Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, Ibadan, during the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the church and 6th anniversary of the university, said that political leaders who do not know what to do can learn from religious leaders.
He also noted that his government will continue to improve the education sector and support private institutions for the development of the state.
Makinde congratulated the church and its General Overseer, Bishop Taiwo Adelakun, on the anniversary of the church and the institution, noting that his administration’s investments in education have been yielding positive results.
He called for more support from old students of schools and well-meaning individuals to complement government’s efforts.
He said: “I want to congratulate Bishop Adelakun and Victory International Church on this 35th anniversary. Let me also say that the journey is just starting.
“Many of you have seen how the church looked at the beginning and it has taken 35 years. When I looked at the picture and the trajectory where this church started from and where it is today, the development, the progress and the expansion of the church have been geometrical. It has not been in a simple proportion.
“You have moved from that little place, built the Rehoboth Cathedral in 2000 and now, you are here. What it means to me is that we won’t need eternity to turn this country around, because it didn’t take eternity to grow this church to where it is right now.
“It is an inspiring story and journey for us. As political leaders, if we don’t know what to do, let us come and learn from people who understand how to do it.
“Yesterday, I was at the Government College, Ibadan, to commission some projects. We handed over the school to the old students, and since we handed it over, they have invested about N12 billion in that school. So, the government cannot do it alone and that is the gap that is being filled by Dominion University.
“Moving forward, we have to invest heavily in education and this is not new. The first free education started here in the Western Region and it was not easy at that time but it changed the trajectory for most of us.
“But along the line, Nigeria happened to all of us. Resources came, everybody abandoned what they were doing and we chased after oil money.
“And when we are talking about development, people will be talking about federal allocation and local government money. How far can that take us? How many people can those resources take out of poverty to prosperity?
“But in Oyo State, we are already on that trajectory of taking people to prosperity. However, we have to focus on education and have to support private efforts.
“Natural resources won’t take us anywhere. It can be an enabler but developing our people is what will take us to the promised land. So, for us in Oyo State, education and the rule of law are important.”
The governor added that his administration has also made massive progress in the area of economic expansion, noting, however, that residents of the state must join hands with the government to fight land-grabbers and individuals who want to ensure that the state remains unplanned.
He maintained that the government is also achieving success with the Ibadan Circular Road, noting that the environment will be a first world environment.
“If you look at the area of the expansion of our economy, when you look at this location, you would know that the economy of Oyo State is expanding. The city limit of Ibadanland is now defined by the Circular road, which is just about five minutes away from here.
“So, when the vision to come here started, maybe you didn’t think you were being integrated into the new limit of Ibadan. That road is 110km. So, it is like folding Ibadan into a circle. The centre of Ibadan used to be Dugbe, but with the Circular Road and Ilu-Tuntun, the centre is now at Moniya.
“But we have a battle, which I am urging everyone to come along with us to fight; land-grabbers and people wanting us to stay in the same old and unplanned environment. Look at this environment, it is planned. So, our wider environment would also be planned.
“We have a battle with land grabbers who think they will come and replicate what we are used to, developing without a plan. We don’t want an environment that is not planned. We have gas infrastructure coming in here and we want an environment where when you move into your neighborhood, you have gas, water, electricity and sewage provided for.
“We have made progress. You are just about eight minutes from the Ring Road and you can drive anytime during the day or night to all those places. That is the Oyo State that we want for ourselves and for our children. There are few things that we know we must do to make this place conducive and we will start some of them almost immediately.
“From here, between 500 metres to 1 kilometre from here, there will be a bridge. I have submitted the supplementary budget but I will ensure it gets into the 2025 budget.
“All the things we are trying to do can only take place in a safe and secure environment. So, I want to thank the Bishop, who always gives us this location to hold joint security meetings. Anything that will compromise the security of this place like shanties, people of questionable identities, we will get rid of them. But stay with us. If you see something, say something and your government will do something,” the governor said.
Earlier in his thanksgiving sermon, Bishop Adelakun commended Governor Makinde’s leadership foresight in taking dynamic decisions for the economic prosperity of the state.
