How my mum discouraged me from going into politics – Governor Seyi Makinde

Seyi Makinde, the executive Governor of Oyo State, has explained that his victory in the last governorship election in the state was solely by the support of God, detailing how his mother did not encourage him to join politics due to her belief that Nigerian politicians were ungodly persons.

The governor stated this during his family thanksgiving service at the St. David’s Anglican Church Cathedral, Ijomu, Akure, Ondo State capital on Sunday.

The governor, who was accompanied by some members of the Oyo State Executive Council and some leaders of the state Peoples Democratic Party, also declared that he had no godfather anywhere as candidate of the PDP, saying the Almighty Himself supported him all the way.

He said, “I am standing before you that I am a testimony of an individual getting into the position of the governor of a state without any godfather apart from the Almighty.

“When I wanted to go into politics, my two mothers, Mama Akure and Mama Ibadan, doubted me. They called me late in the night and told me in Akure and Ibadan dialects that if politicians give you anything, do not take.

“They said this because of their belief that no godly person should go into politics. If my mother can doubt me, it means I should not worry if an outsider does the same.

“But I am standing here before you to say that a godly person can go into politics and do well.”

According to the governor, holding political positions did not make one depart from the ways of God.

“The church was 100 per cent involved in my election in Oyo State. It was the first time that the provost of a church became an activist. During voting, the provost called that some people had stolen a ballot box and described where they kept it. We made necessary contact and the box was retrieved and taken to where it should be for people to vote.

“We as a church, should not be timid. It is only when godly people participate in politics that we can sanitise our environment. The church must organise to participate actively in politics. As you all know, election would soon come in Ondo State, I will also be here to campaign, so the church should be ready to participate,” Makinde said.

Earlier in his sermon, the Bishop of Akure Diocese of Anglican Communion, Simeon Borokini, urged the governor to focus on agriculture to tackle the problem of youth unemployment. Specifically, he asked the governor to revamp the old farm settlements established by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Meanwhile, the governor has given kudos to stakeholders in the Oyo State environmental sanitation sector for their resilience in restoring the state back to its status as one of the cleanest in the nation.

The governor’s commendation was relayed through the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Kehinde Ayoola, at his office when he hosted the heads of local government administrators and heads of environmental and health services as well as officials of the West African Energy, the consultancy firm in charge of refuse collection in the state.

Ayoola said the state appreciated the efforts of the stakeholders in mobilising against filthy environment and the ways they had demonstrated their support to the government in mobilising against poor sanitation.

“The governor knows the efforts that you all have put into this campaign of ridding the state of the culture of poor sanitation and he salutes you all,” he said.