Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, is 55 years old today. Speaking with Tribune’s Board of Editors, he retells the story of how God has guided his every step, right from birth to adulthood, while also reiterating that the core basis of his mandate is to transform Oyo into a prosperous state inhabited by economically buoyant people. According to him, while his opponents are seeking a coalition to unseat him, he has already secured a coalition with the people of Oyo State.
CONGRATULATIONS on your 55th birthday. If you look back at all the targets you set for yourself in life, did you at any point set a target to be governor or occupy any public office?
No. While growing up, I wanted to be a musician. Later,
I thought I could be a boxer. I wanted to be a musician because of King Sunny Ade. He was probably the only one they used to show performing on television then. So, I asked my mother to buy a toy guitar for me and most times, I used to imitate KSA, thinking I would be a musician.
Later, I watched the bout between Dele Jonathan and one white guy and I thought I would like to be a boxer too. During my latter days in primary school, we were always kicking football around our neighborhood. I was quite good at dribbling and around 1976, lICC Shooting Stars FC won the African Cup Winners Cup for the first time. I went to the Liberty Stadium, during their trainings and I used to see SegunOdegbami, Best Ogedengbe, MudaLawal and the rest.
So, I thought yeah, I would be a footballer.
I went to my father and told him I would like to be a footballer and he asked me which team I wished to play for and I said “Water Corporation.” | believe Sam Ojebode was with Water Corporation then, but my father was an ardent supporter of Shooting Stars and that was the end of my dream of a professional football career because I mentioned the wrong club. Eventually, I still joined Greater Tomorrow at Yemetu and we played a number of matches together with some of my childhood friends who later went on to play professional football. But my father did not allow me to proceed with that dream. But by the time I got to Bishop Philips Academy, I played for the school team while I was in Form Two. The implication of that was that I was playing with older guys, but I still got into the first eleven of the team.
By the time I got to Form Three, where we started real work academically and had begun to look at which direction to follow: Arts, Commercial, or Science, the dream of being a footballer fizzled out.
Back then, the best 30 students in Form Three would be taken to Science Class, which was always Form 4A. I was among the first three or so and I knew they would take me to Form 4A at that time. So I started thinking about what to do seriously. At that point, I thought of being a medical doctor or an engineer.
But then, I found out that I was not really enjoying Biology. At that point in time, I knew the subjects that I liked were Chemistry, Phys-ics, Mathematics and Geography. So, I thought I would either be an engineer or a pilot, because my knowledge of Geography was very good and it reflected in the result of my WAS then. After writing JAMB exam, I discussed with my father and he wanted me to be a medical doctor but I told him, look, I really don’t fancy Biology and that I needed to choose a branch of Engineering. I wanted to be a Mechanical Engineer, not because I love the course or that I had an inkling of what its impact on the society was, but because those studying Mechanical Engineering fancifully called it ‘mech engine.
I was attracted by that funky name and I wanted to study it so that when people asked me about the course I was studying, I could also say ‘mech engine!
I took the JAMB exam, and I got admitted to University of Lagos (UNILAG). Of course, I thought I was admitted to study Mechanical Engineering which I applied for, but my admission letter read Electrical Engineering. I felt bad, but my father thought maybe they sent me to the department because of my performance in physics.
I scored almost 90 per cent in physics in JAMB; so that was his expla-nation. I got to UNILAG and started the registration into the Department of Electrical Engineering and just a day to the matriculation ceremony, I saw my name on the notice board that I should go and see the faculty admission officer. I went to him and he said that I was admitted to study Mechanical Engineering but that there was a mix
-up in my admission letter. He said, ‘now that you are matriculating tomorrow, I will leave you in the electrical engineering department, because all engineering students in 100 level would mostly take the same courses, but when you are coming back in the second year, come to me so that we can regularise your admission and you can go to the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
I matriculated under the Department of Electrical Engineering with the hope that at the end of that session, I would go back to the faculty admission officer but, lo and behold, one of the general courses we were to take as freshers in engineering was Engineering Drawing. I did not learn technical drawing in secondary school and it was a bit difficult for me to cope. As a matter of fact, I failed my first drawing exam, but I picked up by the second semester. By then, they had started telling me that in Mechanical Engineering, I would have to take drawing courses until my fourth year. On the other hand, I took a course, Fundamentals of Engineering, and I had At in that.
So, by the end of the session, I didn’t go back to the faculty officer and he also didn’t ask of me. That was how I became an electrical engineer.
After that, I just wanted to be a professional engineer. During my final year, my project was on Control System, which was a little bit innovative at that time. I remember my engineering dynamics lecturer would come to school and say ‘if you start your engine, I can know the revolution per minute. It was a big deal for me as a young engineering student. So, I realised that if you go towards the control side of things, you would be the one to determine how the whole structure will come together. So, I started thinking I may just specia-lise rather than just look at a broad engineering scope and go to the control system side of things. I did my final year project on Control Systems in engineering and, fortunately, when I got to Shell for my National Youth Service Corps, they sent me to Instrument Engineering Unit. And from there, I further specialised in Fluid and Gas Metering and that was the basis of everything I have done in life. That is also why I say that I am an expert on field and gas metering, because I went straight from the academic world to an area of the industry in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas sector that was in need of serious reform and technology and I keyed into it and the rest they say is history.
At what point did you then decide you were going into politics?
I did my youth service in 1990, got to Shell in Port Harcourt, 1990, started working as a Field Engineer after the service. So, by 1997, I had already started my own company and I made some money.
The first set of money I made, I had the urge to give back to society. I remembered that during the 1998 Christmas celebration, I came to Ibadan to see my parents and I went to my alma mater, Bishop Philips Academy. One thing led to another and I decided to carry out a project in the school. I was going to renovate the block of classrooms where I studied in my Form One and my principal then, Chief Kun-miAgboola, who is a member of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIC), told me the cost would not be much different from a new building and advised that I could build a new structure.
I approached him and told him what I had in mind and he gave me some pieces of advice. So, we decided that I would build a block of classrooms for them with a computer centre so that the students could have an appreciation of computer and all of that
I started the project in 1999 and completed it in 2000. Baba Lam
Adesina was the governor then and Chief Agboola was close to him.
He invited the governor to come and commission the project. While we were at it, I sat beside the governor and told him about a new technology in vogue – micro turbine, and told him it should be good for the farm settlements and for the government to power stranded communities. He appreciated me for that and requested that I give my card to one of his close aides then. I was expecting a call from them because I wanted to try the technology here. But, I did not get any call.
Though I was operating in Port Harcourt before that time, by 2002, I had already moved the Head Office to Lagos. So, due to my nearness to Ibadan, I kept coming home nearly every weekend; my family had already moved to the United States. So, whenever I came to Ibadan during weekends, I always found myself talking to young professionals. I joined the Ibadan Recreation Club and sometimes, we would go there, sit at the squash corner, gisting. One thing led to the other and people were talking about 2003 elections and I shared with them my experience with Baba Lam Adesina.
Some of my friends formed the ‘Fortune Group’ and I joined them. The aim was to support somebody with business experience, maybe that would be a better deal for the people of Oyo State. So, we supported Governor RashidiLadoja at that time and, thankfully, he won. The next local government election after that, I sponsored and supported aspirants vying for the councillorship and local government chairmanship positions. And before I knew it, everybody kept saying since I have been supporting some other friends who won, should also try it. So, I concluded I would give it a trial. The next morning, they came to my house and they were already calling me
‘Distinguished Senator’ and I thought that was really quick.
So, that was how I contested, for the first time, to go to the Senate in 2007. At that time also, we were looking at the Nigerian Local Content law, and I thought my experience in the Oil and Gas Industry might also help the country to fashion out the Local Content Act. I wanted to go and do that in the Senate in 2007 but I lost. I tried again in 2011 and still lost, but I was interacting with political gladiators like
Baba Ladoia and the rest.
The first time I contested, it was under APP with the late former Governor Ajimobi, who was the sitting senator at that time, but had taken the governorship ticket. It did not work out. Between 2007 and 2011, I interacted with the late former Governor Alao-Akala, who was the sitting governor. And by 2015, I had interacted with all the gladiators and I felt, look, they are older than me in terms of age but we have had arguments, discussions on policy issues and I felt I could hold my own ground also. That was why in 2015, I contested to be the governor and I lost. But in 2019, I tried again and won.
Looking back at your story and where you are now, would you say there has been some divine intervention in your life’s journey?
Well, everything that has happened has taken me closer to God and made me to also know that, as an individual, you can have your own aspirations, plans and all of that but divine plan will always pre-vail. I wanted to be a senator in 2007 and I would have won if the order of election was reversed, because in the first election, out of about 13 House of Assembly positions within my senatorial district, APP won nine, PDP won one only in Ibarapa North. But we lost the biggest prize of that election, which was the governorship. By second election, most APP people, because we lost the governorship, were really not ready to come out and I was left to carry the burden.
But that experience brought me in contact with Governor Ajimobi as I interacted with him and after the APP fell apart and I returned to
PDP, God also brought me in contact with Governor Akala.
So, by 2015, it was not difficult for me to take a decision on whether I could run for the governorship and make an impact or not. So, I don’t fret about anything; I just leave everything to God.
I had same feeling in 2019, even this 2023; I have told people that, look, they should pray only for God’s will to prevail. Whatever is not of God, I don’t need it. I don’t want it. From my university days, there was no reason for me to have a letter of admission for Electrical En-gineering, whereas in the admission list with the university my name was under Mechanical Engineering. My father supported Mechanical Engineering because he thought with Professor [Ayodele] Awo-jobi out there, I would be able to learn under a renowned professor but I ended up studying Electrical Engineering and here I am today.
Towards my final vear, could have taken the option in High Voltage and thought about going to work for NEPA [National Electric Power Authority] but I chose Control System, which was not a popular sub
-specialisation then. When I was to go for NYSC, I initially thought of serving in [the old] Bendel State in 1990. My aim was to go and work in the Oil and Gas Industry. Later I was taken to Rivers State, which is a one-city state. And as an engineer, you would definitely end up in the Oil and Gas Industry as that was the only industry there at that time. So, I was posted to Rivers State. When I got there, I was posted to Shell Nigeria. Along the line, after our test, we were to go and have lunch, and on our way, I was looking at the offices and the names on the doors. Suddenly, I saw Tony Oyegunle, Head of Instrument Engineering Unit. So, when we were to be posted, I told the man who wanted to do the posting to post me to that department, thinking I would be working under a Yoruba man and I was posted there.
Later on Shell was to recruit some of us vouth corns members on a permanent basis as staff. We did an interview and eight of us got shortlisted as candidates who passed the exam. But seven of them received their appointment letters and I was the only one who did not receive a letter. I went to the recruitment unit to make enquiries and they told me that the same [Yorubal man that I thought would protect my interest said he did not want me back in that unit. So, that was what led to the end of mv career in Shell. But it also pushed me to where I decided I was going to form a company and take a different path in life.
So, I believe that, as a person, every major turn in my life has always seen the hands of God pushing me.
Why do you always celebrate your birthday in Saki and don’t you think that other zones will become iealous and feel excluded?
Well, if you look at the concept of this administration, we are trying to integrate the zones in the state, give them a sense of belonging and let them also feel part of a wider system. We have seven zones basically, but five in reality. We have Ibadan City and Less City; we have Ibarapa and for Oke-Ogun, we have OkeOgun 1 and Oke-O-gun 2. Then, we have Ovo and Ogbomoso zones.
In OkeOgun 1, the biggest economy there is Isevin, while the biggest economy in Oke-Ogun 2 is Saki and we have Saki West, Saki East, Atisbo, Irepo, Olorunsogo and Oorelope local governments. The biggest pool for those other five councils is Saki. If vou get the economy of Saki right, vou can pull the other local government areas to key into it. Suddenly, you would have succeeded in creating zonal hubs economically and that is what we are doing. For Oke-Ogun 1, we have Isevin. So, those major cities are supposed to pull the satellite LGs around them together.
We have returned OYSADA to Saki and we are also trying to make that place live up to the expectation of a zonal hub. Isevin is auite close to Ibadan and one can get there in 45 minutes. But Saki and OkeOgun 2 zones are the areas that need encouragement and support and it is a bit stretched out. You want people to see why they must come there to see what we are doing and also enjoy the place.
That is the only way vou can stimulate the economy. That happens to be the place we have looked at in terms of intra-zonal road net-work. We are linking the major zones of the state. But in Saki, I deliberately decided to put in the resources to say, look, I want Saki, which is already linked to Atisbo. It is 15 minutes on that way coming from Tede junction to Saki. Now, the other local government out there;
Saki East is also linked somehow though the road is not as good as we want it to be, but the major axis to be linked to Saki first to have the benefit of a zonal hub is to link Saki with Ogboro to Igboho, and after then to Kishi and Igbeti. Once we are able to do that, then the zone is ultimately linked and the economy of Saki can lift the other ones. This is why, for the first time, we awarded the intra-zonal link and by the time we complete the projects, people can stay in Igbeti and in 45 minutes to one hour, they will get to Saki with a good road.
When you started as a governor, you started with a four-point agenda. How has your administration fared in three and a half years?
I believe we have done pretty well. Education, for instance, when we came in, I promised to get as many of our students that are out of school back into classrooms. And a major impediment was the payment of N3,000 levy that was imposed. We removed it and between then and now, we have been able to get about 60,000 out-of-school children back into the classrooms. Also, in terms of quality, we made a compendium for the students, gave them notebooks, textbooks.
People tried to play sycophancy with me, I stopped it because they were going to put my picture on the textbooks because they did it for the former governor. But I said, look, just put the map of Oyo State on it. Now, we have seen a remarkable improvement in that sector. Of course, you have the decay, which has been there for several years. If you are not putting enough money into the sector, what you will get over several years is that the standard will nosedive and when you want to reverse it also, it is not magic as you have to put in the hard work, resources and it will also take a couple of years to stop the decay and that is exactly what we are doing.
We recruited 5,000 teachers and for the first time in the history of this state, they were not recruited based on political party affiliation or religion or anything but on merit. We conducted the interview and chose the best of the best and we are seeing almost immediate results from them. We are seeing that remarkable shift.
Also, when we came in, the joint ownership of LAUTECH by Osun and Oyo states was not working. Students were spending a period of eight years for a five-year programme. Thankfully, we were able to take sole ownership of LAUTECH and they have continued with more improvement and have taken their destinies in their own hands.
Recently, we saw the need to upgrade the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education to a University of Education and we did all the necessary things, put all the needed resources to help them function optimally. We have the approval already and we now have a University of Education.
When I came in, the First Technical University had issues, but when you buy a company, which is the same as taking over an administra-tion, you take up both the liability and assets and we have been able to stabilise that. So, the meaning of all of that is: over the next 40 to 50 years, we have one conventional university that is sponsored by the state – LAUTECH. And you have two specialised universities
– one looking after the educational needs of the state, producing graduate teachers who, in turn, would teach our students, and a spe-cialised technical university looking at emerging economy based on technology. So, some of the templates for the state to actually excel at the tertiary education level have been set and the foundation has been laid for us to build on.
On healthcare delivery, we took it as a policy. When we came in, we had over 600 PHCs across the state. We visited some of them and discovered they were in a dilapidated condition and decided to tackle this head on. We identified in each ward a PHC and upgraded it to a category 3 primary health care centre. Now, you have the people being able to have primary health care centre within one kilome-tre radius to them and we have made good progress with that. All of the upgraded PHCs now have boreholes, clean water, good environment and generators. So, we believe we are doing well on that.
Concerning the expansion of our economy, a good indication of what we have been able to achieve is on the IGR. Before we came in, the IGR was about N1.8bn monthly but in November, 2022, we got an IGR of N3.8bn. It has been an average of N3.3bn to N3.5bn. There is a big aspect we have not even touched, which is the tenement rate for buildings. I never received any bill in my house until I got into government. So, I paid for the first time as the governor of the state.
We are engaging the people and they are willing, because we are also holding ourselves accountable.
