A frontline gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Engineer Oyedele Hakeem Alao, popularly known as Allow Alao, has strongly condemned Governor Seyi Makinde for what he described as his land grabbing activities on the Ibadan Circular Road corridor.
Alao in a statement by his Media Office in Ibadan, said the activities of the governor which have brought pains to the residents are not only heartless but show the insensitive nature of his administration to the feeling of the people it was elected to serve.
The residents of the Ibadan Circular Road corridor comprising six local government areas in Ibadanland, had while addressing journalists last week, accused the state government of land grabbing, unlawful displacement, and deliberate oppression under the guise of expanding the road project by surreptitiously marking additional 850 metres of land across several communities.
The Asiwaju of Irokoland who disclosed that he went round the Circular road corridor over the weekend, said the action of the state government under the leadership of Governor Makinde is a reckless abuse of power, lamenting how the initial 75-meter setback approved under former Governor Rashidi Ladoja and later increased to 150-meter under late Governor Abiola Ajimobi has continued to increase everyday under his administration.
He maintained that while the essence of any government is to make life better for the people the reverse has been the case with Governor Makinde, stating that with his action the governor takes delight in watching family breadwinners including those with grey hair dying of heart attacks.
According to him, the government is out to deliberately oppress, marginalise and displace the poor for the rich, disclosing that information at his disposal reveals the land been acquired are allocated to private developers.
Alao who noted that the Ibadan Circular road project is a laudable project that must be supported by all, maintained that a leader that thrives in cruelty and lack of compassion to the people that elected him must be condemned by all and sundry.
He said, “The duty of a government and most especially a good leader is to make life better for the people. However the humanity in Governor Makinde needs to be questioned given his actions on the Ibadan Circular Road corridor by watching people
who have used their hard-earned resources to build their houses suffer and dying daily because of the policy of his government.
“I want to sincerely appeal to our dear royal fathers including the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Ladoja; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade; eminent citizens of Ibadanland and Oyo State and other stakeholders to call Governor Makinde to order
and stop his pernicious agenda of marginalising the poor for the rich and bringing cruelty to the people.”
