The Accord candidate at the fast-approaching gubernatorial election in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Adelabu has paid a visit to the Palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland where he promised to take care of traditional leaders if vote in as governor of the state. Â
The Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun on the other hand admonished him to see security issue as something of priority so as to succeed in the governance of the state if he is voted in.
Speaking through the Otun Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Tajudeen Ajibola, on Wednesday, Olubadan hailed the team being paraded by the party consisting the gubernatorial candidate, his deputy, Prof. Mrs. Abiodun Ayanfemi Ayandele, Kolapo Kola-Daisi contesting (Oyo South Senatorial seat) Hon. Ayodeji Abas Aleshinloye (Oluyole Federal Constituency), Farooq Arisekola-Alao (Ibadan North State Honourable) among others, describing them as men and women of solid Ibadan background.
In a press statement made available to journalists in Ibadan by the Personal Assistant (Media) to the Olubadan, Oladele Ogunsola, the Accord standard bearer was described as a thorough-bred professional, whose experience in the corporate world would be a very good advantage to the state if he is given the opportunity at the polls.
Earlier in his address at the parley which had in attendance Olori Olufunmilayo and some of the members of Olubadan Advisory Council including, High Chiefs Eddy Oyewole, Lateef Gbadamosi Adebimpe, Hamidu Ajibade and Abiodun Azeez, Osi Olubadan, Osi Balogun, Ekerin Olubadan and Ekarun Balogun respectively, Adelabu assured the traditional leaders of adequate care if he’s voted in.
He promised that the constitutional five percent of the local government allocation would be implemented to the letter under his administration as against what presently operates whereby the traditional councils in the respective local governments are given five percent of whatever remains after the deductions of the local government expenses.
According to him, “our fathers deserve the best of treatment in terms of welfare because they are looked upon by our people that we are elected to govern. If they are well taken care of, our burden becomes less because some of the people we are elected to serve would meet their needs through them. So, if they are well taken care of, we are not doing them any favour, we are only helping ourselves.
“The people of Oyo State should not be afraid of where and how to source for fund to run effective and efficient government under my administration. That’s my core area of competence, though born, bread and raised in Ibadan, but internationally connected. The state is blessed with a lot of resources, especially in the area of agriculture, but, where are the factories to turn our agricultural products to finished goods? Yet, we are complaining of youth unemployment”, he lamented.
Recalling that his great grandfather, the late Chief Adegoke Adelabu (Penkelemesi) made his contributions to Ibadan through politics, the late Aare Arisekola Alao did his through religion, the late Oba Aleshinloye did his traditionally and Chief Kola Daisi did his and still doing it through industry, he said their offsprings contesting for one position or the other as noted earlier are not asking for too much from the people of Ibadan in view of what their families had contributed to the land.
In his assessment of his two main contenders for the plum job, the incumbent Engr. Seyi Makinde of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Sen. Teslim Kolawole Folarin of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adelabu said while the incumbent governor concentrates more on his overseas business which account for his travelling out of the country for 23 times in six months, the APC flag-bearer’s twelve years in the Senate have not made the expected impacts on the people of Oyo Central Senatorial District he represents.
Packaged by Dare Raji
