TRACKING >>FORMER Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has expressed his wish for the success of his successor Seyi Makinde in office.
Ajimobi, in an interview with reporters during Sallah holiday, said he and the state would gain nothing from Makinde’s failure as governor.
He explained that he spent the last eight years building a good foundation for the state’s progress and development, noting that he can only wish his successor to continue from where he stopped so that the state could maximise its potentials as the pacesetter.
His words: “I think Governor Seyi Makinde is lucky because we have a very good structure in terms of security. He should just leverage on it and I want to advise that there are many good things that we have done, let him leverage on them. Anything that we have done that is not good, let him repair and that is life. Nobody is perfect. Only God is perfect.
“In fact, people believe that some of the imperfections of God came out of the evil men that we see. Some even ask why God did not create all of us to be good. They ask why God allows some evil men to thrive. So, I think Governor Makinde, like I said, I pray that he succeeds. His success is our progress in Oyo State. If he succeeds, it is good for us, if he doesn’t succeed, what do we gain?
“Some people will come and say they don’t want the new governor to succeed, why not? I pray that he will succeed and anytime, I am ready to support him to succeed because in supporting him, we are helping the state and he himself is now seeing that we have done well in some areas, in education, roads, among others. There are many things we have done very well. No governor has ever done as much as we have done. But it doesn’t mean we won’t make mistakes.”
He also told The Nation in a chat yesterday: “As a statesman, you can’t wish your state or country to be stagnated or to retrogress. You can only wish to see continuous progress. That’s how the society gets better. It is not about one person or personal interest. Every good leader is interested in seeing a better society where his people enjoy opportunities to be the best they can.”
On moves to reconcile members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, the former governor said: “You know the funniest thing, those that I believe have genuine cases, I have spoken to them. Some, I will not speak to them. They must come. I am the leader. If a father offends the son, it is the son that will beg the father. No matter how it is, a father will not say for the sake of his son in heaven, that God should bless him. No. It is the son that will always say that ‘for the sake of my father in heaven’, please bless me, even Jesus Christ was always referring to His father.”
