DARING:
‘I am ready to BREAK some toes to serve the ordinary people of Oyo State’ -Governor Seyi Makinde
…declares during thanksgiving service to mark 52nd birthday
* ‘Once we give education to our children, the sky is their starting point’
* ‘My determination to render service to the ordinary people informed my decision to declare free and qualitative education in the state. Education remains the surest way to lift people out of poverty’
* Reveals: “I thought I would join the Army, fight for my country and possibly get killed and that may be the end of the story. So for me, every year I have lived above 30 years is like a bonus”
BY TOLANI ABAYOMI/SPECIAL POLITICAL REPORTER, Ibadan
AT 52 YEARS, THE GOVERNOR OF OYO STATE, SEYI MAKINDE HAS WRITTEN HIS NAME IN GOLD AD SANDS OF TIME IN NIGERIAN POLITY by re-assuring the good people of the state that he is ready to fully live up to his campaign promises by breaking some toes in order to be able to make basic amenities easily available to the masses.
Makinde
made this revelation during a thanksgiving service to mark his 52nd
birthday, said that he would continue to fight on the side of the
ordinary people. He assured that he will break some toes to serve Oyo
people.
The
governor
declared
that he would not mind breaking some toes if it would aid his
determination to serve the ordinary people of Oyo State.
Confirming the
governor’s position in a
statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, he
indicated that Makinde made the declaration during his Birthday
Thanksgiving Service held at the St Peter’s Cathedral, Aremo,
Ibadan.
According
to Governor Makinde, his determination to render service to the
ordinary people informed his decision to declare free and qualitative
education in the state adding that education remains the surest way
to lift people out of poverty.
The
governor said: “If I can be who I am today, then no child should be
left behind in Oyo State. And that explains my passion for education.
Once we give education to our children, the sky is their starting
point. I thought I would join the Army, fight for my country and
possibly get killed and that may be the end of the story. So for me,
every year I have lived above 30 years is like a bonus.”
He
stated that he never thought he would live up to 30 and that he has
remained grateful to God every year he has lived beyond 30. The
governor maintained that he was getting more mature at 52 appreciated
everyone who has made an impact on his life, even as he expressed
appreciation to the people of Oyo State, without whom he said he
would not have been able to achieve anything in last six months of
his tenure as Governor.
He
said: “There is nothing really much to say; today is my birthday
and I am getting mature. Quite frankly, I never thought I would live
up to 30. I have a friend here and every time we were talking, we
always thought that we would go into the Army, fight, get killed and
that would be the end of our story.
We
actually went for recruitment into the Army but were rejected. But
today, we are seeing Seyi Makinde at 52 and all I can do is to give
thanks to God.
“When
we were going through the electioneering period, people said the
political terrain here is rough, and I could get killed. So, I looked
at myself and said that I could take the risk since I am more than 30
because I had always believed that anything I have after 30 would be
like a bonus to me.
“That
is why without looking back, I will continue to serve the people of
Oyo State, without minding whose toe I will step on. Truth is, I will
break some toes if I really have to and will continue to fight for
the ordinary people of this state.” He added: “My story won’t
be complete without all of you and I thank you all. Today is the
first time I am celebrating my birthday like this. In the area I grew
up, the first time they would bring a cake for somebody’s birthday
was when the last child of my family, Iyabo, celebrated her birthday.
My parents kept delivering male children until they got to the 5th
one.
“I
remember after the delivery of the fifth child, who happened to be a
female, my mother, in the labour room, was shouting for everyone to
hear that she had a female child. For her, it was special treatment.
“Some of us who stayed in the area where I grew up, we used to eat
in a communal setting. So, when they brought the cake for her
birthday, it was strange to us and we suddenly rushed it. My mum
cried that day. That was the kind of environment where I grew up.
“So, if I can be who I am today, then no child should be left
behind in Oyo State. And that explains my passion for education. Once
we give education to our children, the sky is their starting
point.”
The
governor, who singled out the people of the State for appreciation
for the support they have continued to offer to his Government,
further said: “For the people of Oyo State, I want to thank you
because we would not have achieved anything without you. People have
been commending us that there have been changes within six months we
came into government. “I want the people to know that it is not
only Seyi Makinde that is doing these but all of us. And you know
that decisions are always taken by consensus. We discuss, thrash out
issues and superior arguments always win. So, in 2020, I look forward
to a more robust argument, discussions, and alignments.
He
said: “This
time last year, I didn’t know I will become the Governor of Oyo
State but I prayed to God during my birthday and the last cross
overnight that if my wish to serve the people of Oyo State would be
to their benefit, let it be so and God answered that prayer. So, I
want to pray today again that all our wishes, in the coming year
2020, God will make them manifest.” In his sermon, the Archbishop
of Ibadan Province, Most Revd Segun Okubadejo, who spoke on the
topic, “a gift for Christmas,” encouraged Christians to gift
Christ the best of their thoughts, actions, and deeds. He said: “The
gift Christ is asking of us today are the gifts he has given through
finished work of redemption and the gifts are not for Christ’s
benefits, they are for our benefits.”
“Today,
I am telling you children of God here celebrating Christ’s birth,
the first gift Christ wants from us is love. He has deposited that
love in us and he is asking for the same love. Love to God and to our
neighbours.” “We all know what lack of love causes in the home,
the society. Lack of love is disturbing us. In the political circle,
lack of love continues to cause the crisis. So, today, Christ is
asking for the gift of love.” “The second gift he is asking is
that of humility in place of pride. Pride has turned the society and
a lot of people into something else.” “Today, Christ is asking
for the gift of doing good deeds,” Okubadejo stated.
