Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday declared that his administration would continue to ensure that development is fair, humane, and inclusive, noting that he will engage with residents affected by the ongoing 110km Senator Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road Project beginning Wednesday.
The governor made the declaration while presenting the 2026 budget proposal to the House of Assembly at the House of Chiefs Secretariat in Ibadan.
Influence Media reports that affected residents have staged a series of protests over the past few months within Ibadan and its environs, causing artificial hindrances to the project.
Makinde emphasised that, in line with his promise to run a people-centred government, he would visit the Circular Road, listen to residents, and explore all possibilities, including adequate compensation and resettlement.
He noted that his administration did not carry out any land acquisition for the project, saying he was forced to release documents showing that the previous government acquired 500 metres on each side of the road and had published the decision in a November 2018 edition of a national daily.
“When I took up this job, I envisaged situations like this. You did not come beg me to become the governor. I came out to say I wanted to do something good for this state. We acknowledge that progress must be people-centred. And we remain committed to ensuring that development remains fair, humane, and inclusive.
“So, I will honour the promise that I made to visit, to listen and to explore all possibilities, including resettlement, in addition to adequate compensation. I will start this week. On Wednesday, I will visit Ologuneru. But, let me say this, the Circular Road is not just about connectivity; it is about equity, growth, and shared prosperity.
“I was forced to release from the archive a document that shows adverts in the Nigerian Tribune newspaper of November 24, 2018, which showed that the state government at that time acquired 500 metres on the right and 500 metres on the left. On November 24, 2018, was I the governor then?
“But we are engaging with our people. I promised a previous set of protesters when they came under the bridge that we would integrate them. But they also should know that, for me, in about 18 months, I will be out of here. I have started our preparation for transition.
“In 2027, other players will be here. If some people think they should attack Makinde and politicise this thing, maybe the people will vote for them. I can tell you that the state people are wiser. The next set of leaders, I can only prop them up, expose them, encourage them; the people of this state will be the ultimate deciders.”
Makinde added that apart from focusing on development, his administration is shifting governance toward institutional legacy, ensuring that governance is based on systems rather than personalities.
“Our focus has been to shift towards institutional legacies, ensuring that governance is system-based, not personality-based. In Oyo State, we don’t want strong men, we want strong institutions, and we have created some of those; including OYACA and the Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority. So, we’ll continue to strengthen our civil service, digitise government processes, and entrench transparency as the standard for leadership.
“Our legacy will not be measured by buildings alone but by the values that sustain progress long after we have left the stage.
“They are talking about the Circular Road and all of that. We need industries. Our children are coming out of school; we need commercial solid minerals exploration in Oyo State. Yeah, people talk about governors or states now getting billions in federal allocation. Did the increase come from being productive? Well, Oyo State is moving from a consumptive economy now to a productive one.
“So, if we are here in front of you, saying, look, let us do this together. It is because we know Oyo State can stand on its own and be productive and true to our name as the pacesetter. We can set the pace for others.
“We have not failed you in over six years and we will not fail you now. You have stood firm through difficult times. You have trusted the process and believed in the vision. You have demonstrated beyond what I can even fathom. We are not a government that repays good with bad. Together, we will continue to grow, innovate and prosper.”
Punch
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