Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde has hailed the Muslim Community in the state for their support in the 2023 governorship election.
Makinde, who spoke at the commissioning of the Tadhamumul Muslimeen Mosque, Adogba, Iwo Road, Ibadan explained how he approached the mosque to intimate them with the plans to pull down the mosque and church around the axis in order to accommodate the bus terminal project.
The governor explained that when he decided to pull down the Adogba Central Mosque and a church, which both stood on the spot where the state government is building its mega Bus Terminal, there was insinuation from the Muslim Community, as some people had already begun to view the appointments made by his government as one-sided.
He said: “I went to the mosque and I worshipped with the Muslim Ummah. I told them that the mosque and the church around it will be demolished, because we already put forward a roadmap for accelerated development, which means we had to focus on the development of our infrastructure.
“I understood the fact that there was trust deficit between the government and the people. So, before we even said anything, some people were already insinuating.
“But when I spoke at the mosque that day; I saw that 90 per cent of the people believed me and every time I ran out of money building this mosque, because it was built with my personal money, I always remembered those 90 per cent who believed me that I would rebuild the mosque as I promised.
“We are here today and I am sure that everyone knows the story. We actually completed this project before the election. But some people said I should not be re-elected because I am a Christian.
“Today, I can tell the entire world that I got over 70 per cent of the votes from the Muslim community in Oyo State.
“So, I want to take this opportunity to appreciate the Muslim leaders and the community for believing in us and I want to make that solemn promise that in the next three years and some months, we would run an administration that will balance out any leaning and ensure that people get what they are entitled to.”
Explaining his reason for building the mosque, the governor stated it was imperative to also cater to people’s spiritual needs by building what he described as spiritual infrastructure, after his administration has embarked on a massive building of physical infrastructure by connecting all zones of the state with good roads.
He noted that his government has also been taking care of what is known as ‘stomach infrastructure’ through the infusion of billions of Naira into the economy of the state on a monthly basis by paying salaries and pensions as and when due and had also implemented policies in the education and health sectors, which have yielded positive results.
Also speaking, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta states, Alhaji Dawud Makanjuola Akinola, commended Governor Makinde, describing his act as something that will not be forgotten in the history of Oyo State.
“We gather here today to celebrate this mosque, which was personally built by our amiable governor with his personal money. How are we going to recognise a Muslim? If we confer on him the Amir’mumeen of Oyo State, I think he is worth it. When you see the worth of this mosque, that an individual built from his pocket, he deserves everything.”
The state’s Deputy Governor, Barr. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, equally hailed the governor for fulfilling his commitment, even as he appreciated the Sultan of Sokoto, who he described as the unifier.
Also in attendance at the grand inauguration were the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero; a former Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed; top Islamic clerics and government functionaries in the state.
