The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has refuted land-grabbing claims.
Naija News reports that this is a response to public apprehensions regarding the Circular Road project and other recent developments throughout the state.
In a statement made available to reporters in Ibadan on Sunday, Makinde underscored that the allegations arise from misunderstandings and misinformation.
The Governor, who expressed confidence that previous administrations made earnest efforts in this regard, cited the adage that only a fool persists in the same actions while expecting different outcomes.
Additionally, Makinde disclosed that those who are accusing him are, in fact, the true land grabbers.
He said: “Look at the issue of the Circular Road and some of the places we are opening up for development.
“Some people are describing me as a land grabber. I am not a land grabber. I am a firm believer in the saying that it is only an idiot who will continue to do something the same way and expect a different result. I believe that our leaders in the past tried their best.
“It is even the land grabbers that are calling me a land grabber. Some people are being investigated right now.”
Clarifying the vision behind the Circular Road project, the governor highlighted its uniqueness, noting that it will be Nigeria’s first motorway.
“The concept of the Circular Road—people may not understand it. They thought it would be like Iwo Road to Beere. No. It will be the very first motorway in Nigeria.
“The 32km stretch from Tech U to Badeku only has two exit points. How we want to develop the place requires that there must be a corridor,” Makinde added.
The Oyo State governor underscored his administration’s commitment to sustained development over the past five years, attributing progress to improved budget performance.
“We realigned the budget immediately after we came in 2019. With that, we were able to achieve about 48 per cent budget performance. Our first full budget was in 2020 before COVID-19 hit the world, and, at the end of the year, we still did well to achieve about 60 per cent.
“Right now, we are well over 70 per cent. That is why, for us, you will notice that we have had stability in terms of how projects are executed and the people’s liveability in the state,” he added.
Makinde clarified his stance on the controversial Tax Reform Bill, expressing the need for broader consultations.
He said: “At the level of the National Economic Council, we asked the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force a question on the whereabouts of the bill, and he said it was already at the National Assembly.
“I said if that was the case, why are you just coming here for us to debate and give you the approval as prayed? It amounted to putting the cart before the horse.”
He recounted the council’s collective resolution to halt the bill’s progress pending wider stakeholder engagement.
“It was an agreement reached unanimously at the NEC meeting; withdraw this bill from the National Assembly, and let us have a wider consultation. If people have reservations here and there, it is something that is national, and you can seek alignment.
“And when you align, it may be in the original form, or you may have to tweak it to accommodate whatever the stakeholders are going to say,” Makinde stressed, concluding by addressing misconceptions about his role.
“I was asked to be part of the people that would brief the press, and my bit was to explain our decision on why the Bill should be withdrawn so that consultation could happen with stakeholders.
“But some people just focused on the messenger as opposed to focusing on the message,” he said.
