Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has revealed his resolution for the forthcoming New Year 2024, saying he would work in the best interest of the generality of the people.
The governor, who stated this in his last Newsletter for the outgoing year 2023, explained that nobody can please everybody no matter how good one is.
He explained that he has been careful about the decisions he makes, to bow out of office with a loud ovation in the year 2027.
According to him, the year petering out has taught him to be firm in decision-making as no one can be ultimately perfect, judging from the books he read during the year.
“So, what have I learned from 2023? I have learned the truth of the Yoruba saying, “Eniyan o kii nrin ki ori ma mi,” which translates to “There is no way to walk without the head shaking.” No matter how good you are, you cannot be perfect. You cannot satisfy everybody. The only thing I can do is to keep working in the best interest of the generality of our people. This is my resolve as we enter 2024.
“2023 has been a one-of-its-kind year. In Nigeria, the first part of the year was the heat of the election season. It is a new dispensation in most States and at the Federal level, even for those re-elected for a second term. Some would say re-elected Governors are bitten by the second-term bug. For me, it is about being even more careful about decisions so one can bow out with a loud ovation.
“One of the lessons from that book has helped me this year to remain firm in my convictions, especially in crises, so as not to lose focus. This firmness is needed when making decisions that appear controversial,” he noted.
Continuing, Makinde said: “For example, when the sacked Local Government Chairmen took us to court, we were determined to see the process through. They got a judgment in their favor, but we have requested a clarification to know whether all 33 LG Chairmen and the “illegal” LCDA Chairpersons should be paid.
“We believe that this is the prudent thing to do to ensure that the money is paid out to the right people. But these Chairmen have gone to another court to compel us to pay them without waiting for the Supreme Court’s clarification. So, when you read headlines like “Court Freezes Oyo Accounts In 10 Banks Over N3.5bn Debt.” This is really what it is about.”
