By Adeyinka Adeniran
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has said elected governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, under the aegis of PDP Governors Forum will soon come up with an action plan that will help salvage the current hardship been faced in the country.
He charged Nigerians to keep their heads up despite the difficult times and join hands with the leaders to make the country great again.
Apparently reacting to the recent backlash of the PDP governors over allegations of owing workers and pensioners salaries in their various state, Governor Makinde noted that despite criticism against the PDP Governors’ Forum, that recently spoke out on the situation in the country, he and his colleagues will remain undeterred but focus on impacting on the people.
The governor spoke over the weekend while commissioning the 12.5 kilometres Challenge-Odo Ona Elewe-Apata Road which he also renamed Theophilus Akinyele Road, Ibadan.
He said the PDP governors recently met and deliberate so much on the economic hardship the people are facing with the intent of coming up with a plan and solution that will help the people overcome the challenges of the time.
He added that the realities of the time, no matter how anyone tries to paint it, requires that certain things be done saying the PDP governors and the party, in a matter of time will bring forward a plan that will help the country, if it is adopted.
He noted that the move will again demonstrate that the party cares more about the progress of the people than they do about politics
Makinde said “Let me use this opportunity to talk about the meeting we had a few days ago. We the Governors of the PDP met in Abuja and one of the key issues we discussed was the economic hardship our people are facing.
“Our focus this time is to help our people overcome the challenges of the time. Some people can continue to play politics and tell lies about how things are, it does not matter.
“I read a piece where some people said FAAC has doubled for states and local government areas. I think it is just a lazy way to situate things. We must be talking about baking a bigger cake.
“Why are we even going to Abuja in the first instance to share FAAC? Were they doing that in the First Republic? Yes, FAAC has moved up from about N6bn per month to about N8bn monthly but the responsibilities of government have also increased.
“We all know the reality of the time, no matter how anyone tries to paint it. And, in the weeks and months to come, our dear party will propose an action plan that we believe would work for our nation when adopted.
“In doing this, we again demonstrate that we care more about the progress of our people than we do about politics. It is just like here in Oyo State where we fix roads that have economic importance whether they belong to the state or federal,” Makinde said.
He added that in spite of the economic hardship, his government has been able to sustain its focus of building infrastructure that targets its economic expansion agenda and makes life more meaningful for residents of the state.
He noted that the government’s various road projects are ways of attracting prosperity for residents of the state and bring development to the state as a whole.
“When we commission projects, we often go back to see the impact such projects have on the lives of our people. For most of them, a road project like this is the difference between being able to quickly go from their homes to the market or spending hours in traffic. This particular road is cutting down travel time by, at least, 30 minutes for some people. So, when we say where roads go, development follows, we are simply stating the fact.
“We are also mindful of the fact that our people want more. We know things have been tough, so we promise to do more. It may not be as fast as you want it to happen but, surely, we will get to our destination by the grace of God.”
