- Lauds Makinde on infrastructural revolution in Oyo
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Tuesday, joined his Oyo State counter pact, ‘Seyi Makinde, to commission a 50,000 passenger-capacity Ojoo and Challenge bus terminals in Ibadan, the state capital.
Obaseki, who was the special guest of honour at the event, commended Makinde for delivering the two massive bus terminals among many others, despite economic challenges in the country.
He congratulated Makinde for standing firm by his people, saying that the people of the state will appreciate the governor when it is time.
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, in a statement, said Mr. Obaseki also lauded the people of the state for supporting Makinde, noting that the governor is very passionate about development of Oyo State.
Obaseki said: “Coming here today to see that my brother, His Excellency ‘Seyi Makinde, is commissioning two bus terminals and the quality of the structure, I am very proud of you.
“I am also surprised about how you got this land, because during my days at the University of Ibadan. I used to go to International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan and I did not know you can get a big land like this here, let alone building a good structure like this. We are truly proud of you.
“Listening to you speak a few minutes ago, I said to myself that, indeed, Nigeria still has hope. When we have people like you in government – people who make decisions not on emotions but on data and facts, people who make decisions that affect the majority of the people, we have hope.”
He said the project is pro-people, adding that available statistics show that the total capacity of all airports in Nigeria is less than 41,000 passengers in a day. But that the bus terminals built by Makinde in Ibadan alone will take more than 50,000 people.
Speaking, at the official commissioning ceremonies held at Ojoo and Challenge, Ibadan, respectively, Governor Makinde, maintained that the projects mark a new dawn in the transport system of Oyo State. He explained that the terminals will promote tourism and enhance the socio-economic development of the state.
He said that in his quest to engineer a modern Oyo State, his government had always relied on data, science and logic, saying that data showed that it was time to build a modern alternative to the existing transport system in Oyo State.
The governor added that his administration is committed to redefining good governance in the state with each project being commissioned, reiterating that his government will always ensure that the state gets value for its money.
According to him, the terminals will be managed through the public-private- partnership system and in a sustainable manner.
Makinde, who restated his administration’s commitment to redefining good governance in the state, maintained that each project commissioned by his government has successfully raised the bar of governance.
He said: “Today is an exciting day, and I am delighted to be here, joined by my brother, His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki. I want to especially thank him for journeying down from Edo State to be with us on this day as we commissioned two of the four bus terminals that we embarked on building about two years ago.
“One of the things we knew Ibadan needed when we came into office was an effective transportation system. I remember how we went round and spoke to you, the good people of Oyo State, in 2019, just after we came into office. We made a case for having to demolish some buildings around here, and I thank you for listening to us then.
“Of course, not everyone saw the big picture as we did. In fact, some people said the project was a misplaced priority, and they created lists of other projects that they thought we should have prioritised. Well, we knew better because, in our quest to engineer a modern Oyo State, we always relied on data, science, and logic.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Public Works, Infrastructure and Transport, Prof. Dahud Sangodoyin, explained that the project was awarded to Messrs Planet Project Ltd on May 5, 2020 at the cost of N16.9 billion.
He stressed that the terminals are located at four different strategic and historic transit exchanges at the cardinal axis of Ibadan city.
In her goodwill message, a former First Lady of the state, Chief Mutuiat Ladoja, commended the governor for providing modern day developmental projects across the state to bring comfort and dividends of democracy to the people.
THEGUARDIAN
