Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde has slammed the lawmaker representing Oyo Central Senatorial District and gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Teslim Folarin for his comments on the recently commissioned bus terminals in the state.
Speaking in an interview with veteran journalist and political analyst, Edmund Obilo, Makinde noted that Folarin’s comments that he would turn the bus terminals into hostels and libraries show that he doesn’t know anything about the history of Ibadan.
The Governor noted that Ibadan as a city grew from being a nodal town and remains the same to a large extent.
He said: “When I heard Senator Folarin’s comments about the terminal, it only showed that he doesn’t know anything about the history of Ibadan and how the city grew.
“Ibadan was a passageway for traders travelling to and fro. It is still the same to a large extent. Many people pass through Ibadan on a daily basis.
“If we need to expand the economy of Ibadan, one of the things we must get right is the transportation system; ease of coming into Oyo State, and an organised transportation sector. That is exactly what we have tried to do to put some sanity into the transportation sector in Oyo State and Ibadan to be particular.
“The sanity is yet to be perfect but you need to look at where we are coming from. Now, people know that they can go into the terminals and take a bus. You can go into the terminal and relax a little bit to settle yourself while waiting for your bus. Out of 4 terminals, two have been delivered, commissioned, and in operation. The other two are work in progress”, he added.
When quizzed about the huge amount being expended on the terminals, the Governor noted that the economic benefits of the terminals outweigh the cost and that the project was needed as a breath of fresh air to restore the glory of Oyo State.
He said: “Well, I don’t like to join issues if you are not part of the number crunching. What you need to look at is how much you need to spend and the economic benefits of what you are spending. We believe we took the right decision.
“Oyo State has stagnated for a long time. We need fresh thinking, fresh ideas, and new ways to ensure that we bring that glory back and that is what this government is doing”, he added.
