Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday, took a swipe at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for failing to express empathy to the Oyo State government over the recent explosion that rocked Bodija area of Ibadan.
Makinde lambasted Atiku while appreciating the former governor of Anambra State and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, who was on a condolence visit to his office.
The Oyo State Governor disclosed that only the former vice president had not reached out to him out of the three major candidates who contested the 2023 general elections.
Makinde told Obi, who had Aisha Yesufu in his entourage, “I want to thank you especially for the visit. Out of the 3 major candidates who contested the 2023 election, only Atiku Abubakar, my own leader and our candidate hasn’t called to commiserate with the state. I am saying this openly so that our leaders will know that we have time for politics and others. I want to thank you once again for coming.”
A number of people died and some property lost in the January 16 blast on Dejo Oyelese Street, Bodija.
Obi, who held a closed door meeting with Governor Makinde, had earlier visited the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) headquarters in Ibadan to learn about the research activities & food security impact ongoing across Africa.
The Oyo Governor, who spoke on the economic situation of the country and its effect on the masses, called for a drastic reduction in the cost of governance at the Federal level as a necessary sacrifice to move the country forward.
He said, “All of us are now involved and all of us should work hard and make the necessary sacrifice to see that we turn around the situation.
“It is a matter of sacrifice. Elections are over, governance is the key thing and what is required for me is to cut down on the cost of governance especially at the federal level. It is unacceptable the way it is going, we need to prioritize critical areas such as education, health and pulling people out of poverty.”