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Ibadan Traditional System is Never Broken — Makinde Tells CCII

The Executive Governor of Oyo State, ‘Seyi Makinde on Saturday maintained that the traditional kingship system of Ibadan has never been broken and it never required fixing.

Makinde who made this known while speaking at a dinner hosted by frontline Ibadan sociocultural group – the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), added that the kingship system was only knotty at a point and the system is back firmly on track after the issue has been resolved.

Recall that the 41st Olubadan of Ibadanland, Late Ọba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji joined his ancestral fathers on the 2nd of January, 2022 and Ọba Lekan Balogun was crowned the 42nd king on the 11th of March, 2022 after issues surrounding the elevations of Obas in Ibadanland by the immediate past governor, Late Sen. Abiola Ajimobi was resolved.

He stated that he was not opposed to ideas of reform to the institution, but that such reform should emanate from the Olubadan-in-Council and the Kabiyesi and not from the government.

He added that whatever reforms the Council and the Olubadan resolve to bring to the government, he will endorse.

The Governor who was also conferred with the traditional title of Aare Jagunmolu of Ibadanland, reels out his achievements and the way he has contributed immensely to the development of the sociocultural group and Ibadanland entirely through project execution, financial support and infrastructural development.

The statement in a release made available to newsmen by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the governor, while speaking at the Emeritus Professor Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall, UCH, Ibadan venue of the event, recalled that before he assumed office as governor, he had donated up to N120m to CCII from his purse.

In the meantime event was attended by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr) Mohood Lekan Balogun; foremost industrialist, Chief Bode Amoo; the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta states, Alhaji Daud Akinola and Ambassador Ibironke Adefope, among other eminent Ibadan sons and daughters.

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Governor Makinde, who noted that his administration has in the last three and a half years, delivered projects that have helped reposition the city of Ibadan and the entire state, explained the vision for his second term campaign slogan, Omituntun 2.0, declaring that if re-elected, he would concentrate on efforts to make the developments already recorded sustainable.

He said: “I like to greet everyone here today and say a few things to set the record straight.

“First, before I became the governor, I was a member of the Ibadan Progressive Union (IPU). My father, before he died, used to be a member of the organisation too.

“So, there is no doubt that I believe in the cause of CCII and Ibadanland. I am a proud son of Ibadan and that is why anything that has to do with CCII or Ibadan, I take it with all the seriousness it deserves.

“Since 2011 to date, I have contributed immensely to the organisation. Since I started working as a young man, I have been interacting with the president-general of the CCII and have been contributing my quota.

“I know that from my pocket, the amount I have contributed to CCII before I got into government is far above N120m. And since I got into government, I always ensure that the interest and peace of Ibadanland are taken into consideration before I take any decision.

“When we got into government, we met the issue of Ibadan Tradition Institution, which was knotty and a campaign issue, and my position then was that when something is not broken, you don’t have to fix it.

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“The traditional system of Ibadan, which we met on ground, as of that time, was not broken, and even up till now. However, to the glory of God, we resolved the issue and the system is back firmly on track”, he added.

While noting that his administration has improved Ibadan and Oyo State in general, Governor Makinde said: “In terms of governance, there are many significant initiatives that this administration has undertaken to improve Oyo State and Ibadan in particular, and the successes in those projects are already recorded in the book that has been made available to everyone here.

“When we were campaigning, our team had an accident on Akufo Road and I promised the people that we would fix that road, if I am elected as a governor. Today, the road is at around 80 per cent completion, and it is the first concrete road in the whole of Oyo State.

“I told our people that the majority of our projects will target and expand our economy, and Ibadan Airport is one of them.

“This airport has been bringing in money through regular flight operations. So, it is a matter of time; with the interventions the state government is making at the facility, including the building of 500,000 litres of aviation fuel storage and dispensary, the number of flights will soon expand along with connectivity, enabling us to fly. Very soon, we will be able to fly to other destinations in Nigeria.

“Also, the Airport Road is being dualised right now and at almost 70 per cent completion. By the end of the year, I am hopeful that we will open the dualised Ibadan Airport Road.

“Well, we have renamed it Dr Omololu Olunloyo Road, in honour of a worthy Ibadan son and former governor of our dear state, and we have done so many other projects that time may not permit me to mention.

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“Across the major pillars on which this administration is rested, Ibadan has benefitted from those activities. The last thing I will talk about is the Ibadan Circular Road. If you go to both ends of the road, you will see that work has begun on the interchange.

“If you are going towards Osun, after Badeku, you will observe that work is ongoing there as well. The other four bridges are not also left out, and in terms of investment, the project is the largest single investment that has come to Oyo State in, at least, 50 years.

“Right now, the government has committed 10 per cent of the resources that will be needed for the project and that is well above N30bn.

“So, in terms of volume, it is a project that will be worth more than N300bn. When we complete it, it will change the landscape of Ibadan.

“Those who reside around the Akobo axis can testify to the fact that the second bridge we did on that axis was magical. It is the same magic you will see when we complete the first phase of the Ibadan Circular Road. And what this means is that all the trailers and articulated vehicles coming into the inner part of Ibadan to destroy our roads will not be plying the routes again.

“When the express road is completed, they will be using the routes so that we can fix our inner roads, including Oke-Adu, Beere, Molete and others”, Makinde assured.

IFRAME SYNC

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