In Makinde’s Oyo, Tomorrow is Promised!

Beyond bricks and mortar, Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, is focused on writing his name in gold through strong institutions. Olawale Olaleye writes

To say farming is the future is not really a uniquely brilliant assertion. Farming is one profession that is as old as mankind. It was yesterday. It is today. Nothing, therefore, could have suggested otherwise that it isn’t the future by any chance possible.

A few of the smart governors produced in Nigeria’s contemporary history had ventured into this friendly calling of mankind for prosperity and growth. It connotes, too, the depth of development focus by the states considering such.

Dr. Bukola Saraki, a former Senate President, was popular with the Songhai farmers in Kwara, when he held sway as the governor of the sleepy state. That idea alone put him on the world map and gave the state huge exposure.

Rotimi Amaechi had an equally prodigious replication in Rivers State. Several others states in the north had always hopped on mass scale farming for the survival of their people, in spite of the seemingly intractable insecurity in that part of the country.

But what appears to stand Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State out and also gives recognition to his audacious agriculture revolution is his ability to first identify and then, resuscitate an idea birthed by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in the 1950s, tucked in a remote area between Iseyin and Oyo town called Fashola.

With a land area large enough to envelope smaller African countries, covering some 1,250 hectres, you can’t but question those governors, who had strutted the turf of Oyo before the advent of Makinde.

Therefore, for an idea that’s beginning to attract investors from far and near, with several millions of dollars sunk into its prospects, Awolowo must be proud in his grave, of what a certain young man, now in the leadership of Oyo, is doing.

Borrowing from the last line of the third stanza of the “remodeled” national anthem, Makinde might have consciously secured a future for the state “in peace and plenty” so, Oyo “may be blessed.”

What has further made this a huge success with a guaranteed future is the 65 kilometres Ibadan-Iseyin road, done to create access and encourage investors.

So proud of the road recently inaugurated by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, was the governor that he promised to give $1,000 to anyone on the tour, who could point to a pothole, at least. Unfortunately, it was a smooth drive all the way. The governor won his bet.

Isn’t it interesting that property is said to be fast appreciating in the area, with a plot of land claimed to be going for as much as a million naira in the middle of nowhere? Literally – a new city is about to be born in Oyo State.

Managed by Dr. Debo Akande, Director-General, Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA), the whole idea of resuscitating the Fashola farm is to re-enact the potential of an initiative birthed since the 1950s by a phenomenal mind, Awolowo. This has further revealed how broad-minded the late sage was in his time.

Akande hinted that the Agribusiness template in Oyo State is currently being adopted by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and across many countries of the world, although managed by him.

Taking a walk of about two kilometres with Makinde within the farm area, the reality of the various pioneering investments in Agribusiness, which his leadership has produced, became more evident.

Aside from the Fashola farm project, another signature initiative by the Makinde administration is the 11 megawatts alternative power project right in the heart of the capital city, Ibadan.

With some of his projections already sitting in the right places, Makinde took immense pride in the power initiative, and the promises it held for the future of the state.

The ongoing 110-kilometre circular road project, which the governor reckoned his administration would have completed about 70 kilometres stretch of it by next year, was incredibly massive and animating.

A short stopover at the Omololu Olunloyo Recreation Park, revealed yet another idea designed to improve the social life of the Oyo State people, especially those in Ibadan, the capital city.

Relatively small, but sited in the heart of the city, too, Makinde said there were similar recreation parks in other parts of the state since Ibadan alone did not make up Oyo State.

From his prognostications, Makinde was hopeful that by the end of his second term, his administration would have been able to hand over a roadmap for sustainable development of the state beyond 2027.

But if you thought those infrastructure developments meant more to him, then you’re wrong. What really mean a lot to him are the several institutions he created to not only stand the test of time, but help to keep government after government in check, irrespective of whoever is in office.

Starting with the Oyo State Ant-corruption Agency, Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Agency, Oyo State Project Monitoring Agency, and the Mobilisation Agency for Economic Development, in addition to the Anti-open Grazing Law, among several others, Makinde was confident that guided by these laws, the state would thrive, even after his reign.

Although Makinde claimed to compare notes with some of his colleagues, from time-to-time, on the ideas they could borrow from one another, it seemed no wholesome peer reviews had been carried out for some time now.

With about 72 journalists from most of the nation’s media houses visiting Oyo on the strength of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Makinde was fluky for the generous commendations handed him, almost unanimously.

President of the Guild, Mr. Eze Anaba, who sought more support for the Makinde administration, believed his governance stood out as a template of encouragement for other governors.

He was even the more surprised that the governor still reads widely, a discovery he pulled out in the course of their interactions.

“I never knew that some governors still read,” he said, eliciting admiration and laughter from everyone at the reception.

The Deputy President of the guild, Mrs. Husseina Akila, also considered Makinde a gender-friendly leader with the appointment of women into critical positions in his administration.

Popular On-Air-Personality with the Arise TV, Dr. Reuben Abati; the Managing Director of Nation Newspaper, Mr. Victor Ifijeh, and a couple of other senior journalists, were also excited, from their speeches, to have had firsthand experience of Makinde’s performance, which corroborated their earlier impressions.

It was no doubt a beautiful adventure in the political headquarters of the South West, which culminated in a class reception for the media men and women later at night within the Fashola farm.

While it is arguably a challenge hosting 72 people in one tranche, what was clearly a grand outing was almost tainted by a last minute accommodation glitch in Oyo town, as against a tidier plan earlier put in place in Ibadan.

But one unintended episode was not puissant enough to deny the governor his glory or obliterate the otherwise beautiful memories his visitors left with.

In the end, 24 hours with Makinde, and two days in the state, exposed the rather weird mind behind the governor’s leadership spirit and his progressively uncanny thought process.

In conclusion, it is not enough to infer that Makinde has already earned his place in the hall of fame of Nigeria’s performing governors. What is equally instructive is that he continues in that pace for the remaining time he has left in office, and not suffer any infection from the familiar second term syndrome.