Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has lauded Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State for making Ibadan, Oyo State Capital, liveable and making residents of the State comfortable by executing projects aimed at easing transportation and making life more meaningful for the people.
Obasanjo stated this in Ibadan, on Wednesday, at the inauguration of the Ibadan Central Bus Terminal, Iwo Road, Ibadan, which has two mega bus stations constructed with waiting halls, ticket spaces, eateries, public conveniences, open vehicular parking space, electrical power generating house, water reservoir, elevators and escalators, among other facilities.
This was as Governor Makinde responded to the ongoing protests over the 110km Ibadan Circular Road, stating that he would engage with legitimate property owners affected by the project, but that everyone must realise that the project matters greatly to the future of Oyo State, as it would become the economic backbone of the State in the not too distant future.
Earlier, Ex-President Obasanjo praised Governor Makinde for doing well for the people of Ibadan and Oyo State by building people-centred projects, including the bus terminals, which according to him, would ease transportation within Ibadan, the third largest city in Nigeria by population and the largest in terms of land area.
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He noted that the constructions of the terminals in Ojoo, Challenge and the two in Iwo Road would make movements easier for residents and that whatever development Makinde is making happen in Ibadan is beneficial to the rest of the South-West, as the metropolis is not only the capital of Oyo State, but also the capital of the defunct Western Region, the Old Western State, and by extension, Yorubaland.
He said: “Governor Makinde, you have done so well. You are making Ibadan liveable and you have been trying to make everyone living in Ibadan and the state comfortable.
“Ibadan, in population, is the third largest city in Nigeria but in land area, it is the largest. So, to move from point A to B in Ibadan is longer than moving from point A to B in the other two cities said to be larger than Ibadan in population. These are Lagos and Kano. And, if you are going to make it convenient for people to live in Ibadan, to trade in Ibadan, there must be availability of transportation and that is what these bus terminals are meant for. The two here and the two in Challenge and Ojoo are meant for that.
“You invited me three days ago to this event; I didn’t hesitate. I came here because you are an Omoluabi. Before anyone can invite me to an event three days to the time, he must be someone I hold in high esteem. For you, if you call me a day to the event, I will come. You resemble me in a lot of ways. When people tell me Makinde is doing this infrastructure and all that, I always tell them why won’t he do it? He is an Engineer. A professional engineer, who knows how to fix things. But you have added another feather to the cap, you are now also into political engineering.”
The former president equally counselled the governor to remain focused and undeterred by those attacking and insulting him over some of the ongoing development efforts, noting that “those abusing you today would praise you tomorrow. I was also abused too and they have come back today to praise me. That is how it is.”
But Governor Makinde said that his Government built four modern bus terminals, including Challenge, Ojoo, New Ife Road and Iwo Road to enable residents of the city to move freely and not be encumbered by transportation challenges known with big cities.
