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Senator Teslim Folarin, was full of joy for the success of the Oyo Rally and the turn out. Folarin, in a short remark, decried the shortage of doctors in Oyo State, a reason he claimed the health sector had gone comatose under the APC administration of Governor Abiola Ajimob. He lamented that the education sector had also collapsed, while youth unemployment had not been accorded the required attention.
Folarin, who commended President Jonathan for convoking a national conference, urged the president to ensure the creation of Ibadan State as recommended by the conference. He charged the people of the state to vote massively for Jonathan as they did in 2011 and for all candidates to make the creation of Ibadan state realistic,He told Naijahottestgist on phone that the crowd showed the confidence the people of Oyo state have in him.
The moment people had been waiting for came after Folarin’s speech. President Jonathan, supported by the crème de la crème at the VIP section, was welcomed to the podium with loud cheers from the audience. His message was appropriately pitched. The president began by paying homage to great national leaders from the zone like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief S.L Akintola, Chief Adegoke Adelabu, Chief Lamidi Adedibu and Alhaji Lam Adesina.
He lauded the string of firsts achieved in the defunct Western Region by Chief Awolowo, including the 25-storey Cocoa House, the first television station, the first stadium and many more done with proceeds from cocoa export. Jonathan also emphasised the significance of Ibadan, the political capital of the Yoruba people, and South-West zone, which he described as very key in the country.
He remarked that he had fashioned his administration after that of the Great Awo by placing the premium on educational development of the country, as a result of which 14 federal universities, including a university for police, had been established by his administration in four years. Not only that, the president added that infrastructural development of the tertiary institutions in the state had been upped greatly by his government to the tune of about N10 billion through funds made available by TETFUND to tertiary institutions in the state.
The president lauded leaders from the zone for standing for social justice, equity and human rights, as a result of which he acceded to their request for a national conference, which, he said, the representatives from the South-West made outstanding contributions.
He stressed he had not disappointed the people of the state for the votes they gave him in 2011, as the presence of his administration had been felt in the area restoration of railway system of transportation, the rehabilitation of Ibadan Airport, the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, his revolution in agriculture which he said was unprecedented, after the feat achieved in that sector by Awolowo, the completion of work on Ibadan-Ilorin Highway and many more. He pledged to locate a dry port in Ibadan, focus more on youth employment by creating 2million jobs annually to reduce unemployment in the country.
On the request by the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba (Dr) Samuel Odulana, for the Ibadan Airport to be made an international airport in view of the huge population of the state and its cosmopolitan nature, promised to look into the request after the ongoing rehabilitation work is completed.
He made political capital from the public criticisms that had trailed Buhari’s determination to scrap the office of the first lady if elected, saying he would not scrap the office because the office had availed women opportunity to enjoy a sense of belonging in a male-dominated political environment like Nigeria.
He explained that funds used by the office of the first lady were not government funds but money sourced from non-governmental organisations. While recalling the great women icons from the South-West zone,who fought against injustice in the country, Jonathan pledged not to confine women to the kitchen as Buhari intends but to continue to encourage more women participating in politics by giving them their fair share.
Speaking Earlier The South-West coordinator of the presidential campaign and Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, joined earlier speakers to trumpet Jonathan’s records and the need to vote for him again. Mimiko, who spoke for governors elected on PDP platform, chided those he called “militant politicians” from the opposition APC who claimed to control the South-West zone, describing such claim as untrue , given the crowd that trooped out to welcome the president to Ibadan, Oyo State.
“When they come to you to seek your votes for Buhari, ask them what Buhari did as military Head of State. Buhari jailed Pa Adekunle Ajasin and Bisi Onabanjo for 300 years. Buhari does not belong to this generation. He can’t boot a computer. We need a 21st century compliant president who must be well educated and youthful. Buhari is a grandpa and he should be at home playing with his grandchildren rather than aspiring to lead the country as president,” Mimiko said.
