The Oyo State governor Engr Seyi Makinde has snapped back at the opposition in the state to desist from antagonising his adminstration, adding that, he has been critically following the ideas espoused in his proposal to people on accelerated development of the state.
The governor gave the warning on Tuesday, during the signing into law of the state security agency network to give legal backing to the operations of the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed: “Amotekun,” held at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan.
Makinde wondered how would the opposition could have concluded that he came into governance without a manifesto, noting that his administration has been carefully planning to deliver to people of the state, projects that would outlast his administration.
He said: “I heard in the couple of weeks where our government has been attacked right, left and centre.”
“I have had the people say, we came into government without a manifesto. I keep wondering whether these people actually in Oyo State, because we came with a proposal to the people of Oyo State.”
“We promised accelerated development, we produced the documents and they are still there. The documents still exist and we are following too those ideas that are espoused in that documents.”
“But they want people to believe that we don’t have any clue. We don’t have to join issues with them. We know as an engineer, if you see an engineers in front of your house digging the found, they already the concept of what is going to come out from there.
“As a matter of fact, what is coming through has already exist in the minds of certain people and paper. They took Oyo State quick peaces in eight years, that’s why within eight or nine months, all the roads they claimed they have done have all fallen apart.”
“So, we are carefully planning and then want to deliver to the people of Oyo State projects that will outlast this administration. Amotekun has come to stay. Join hands with us to have a secured state. We are providing a safe and secured environment in Oyo State.”
While speaking on the Amotekun bill, Makinde assured that outfit was not a replacement for the conventional security agencies and that it was established to compliment the efforts of the federal security agencies.
“And I need to add quickly that, this is not a replacement for our traditional security agencies. We saw that operation and funding and even the number of personnel that can be employed by the Federal Government, but we have to secure our people, so this is complimentary. It is to compliment the efforts of our federal security agencies. Amotekun is going to compliment your efforts.”
“Just like I always say to people, things don’t just happen overnight, you have to align then you execute. This is exactly what has just happened here. We started with the engagement. Of all the governors in the southwest geopolitical zone of Nigeria, everybody went back to their various states, w spoke with stakeholders, everybody and we got the alignment that we have to secure our people.”
The governor, who reiterated his administration’s commitment to providing a safe and secured environment for the people of the state as well as investors, added that: “We guarantee decent return on their investment.”
He, however, commended the activities of the security agencies in tacking the challenges of insecurity in the country, noting that there was an urgent need to compliment their efforts which, he said, had been overstretched.
The Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Mr. Adebo Ogundoyin presented the bill to the governor and it was signed into law in the presence of members of the state cabinet, the legislature and heads of security agencies in the state.