Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has assured residents of the state that the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the Ibadan metropolis will soon become a thing of the past.
The governor gave the assurance in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, while speaking at the wedding ceremony of Moyosore Ayorinde, daughter of the Chairman of the Oyo State Advisory Council, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, and Oladipo Michael Sadipe, son of a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tolu Sadipe.
The ceremony was held at the Cathedral of St. James the Great, Oke-Bola, Ibadan.
Makinde said his administration had been grappling with the challenge of indiscriminate refuse dumping since inception, assuring residents that a lasting solution to the menace would soon be provided.
While congratulating the couple and their parents, the governor described their union as proof that politics should not divide people, advising supporters not to sacrifice their lives for any politician.
The governor said, “Mr and Mrs Sadipe, you have started on a very good and positive note because you are not talking about different cultures or coming from different cultural backgrounds. You are from almost the same type of family background.
“Honourable Sadipe is of the APC, while Chief Bolaji Ayorinde is of the PDP. So, for those of you who will kill yourselves for us politicians, this is an example that you should not do so.
“Politics is a game, but governance is not a game. Governance is serious business, and that is why I will use this opportunity to apologise to all of you. Passing through Ibadan, you will see a lot of waste all over the place. It is a problem we have been dealing with. It has taken me six years and it has still not been solved, but I promise you that the problem will be solved and solved for good.
“So, there is no cultural difference to start with. You can understand yourselves. If you speak the same language, miscommunication will not occur. But like I always advise, where the problem comes from is this: Michael, you have your trajectory in life. You may think your train is going in a particular direction and that you need a helper to join you on that path. The answer is no.
“She also has aspirations and things she wants to achieve in life. But you are together now. So, that single train will recalibrate and take a middle course. Your interests and her interests will come together, and there will be no issue.”
In his sermon at the solemnisation, the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ibadan, The Most Rev’d Joseph Akinfenwa, lauded Governor Makinde for his uncommon leadership style and good works, which he said have distinguished him from his predecessors, stressing that his legacies would endure in the state.
He also charged the newly wedded couple to love and forgive each other, noting that forgiveness is essential in building a godly home.
Dignitaries at the event included a former Governor of Ondo State, Chief Segun Mimiko; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; wife of a former Governor of Oyo State, Ambassador (Mrs) Florence Ajimobi; Dr Wale Babalakin (SAN); Chief Niyi Akintola; former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Olumide Akpata; and the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Abiodun Kola-Daisi, among others.
Members of the governor’s entourage included the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Olanike Adeyemo; Chief of Staff, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; Deputy Chief of Staff, Hon. Kazeem Adeniyi; Senior Executive Assistant (General Duties), Chief Bayo Lawal; Director-General, Oyo State Bureau of Public Procurement, Ms Tara Adefowope; Co-Chairman, Elders Council, Elder Wole Oyelese; Executive Assistant to the Governor on Administration and General Services, Rev’d Idowu Ogedengbe; commissioners and other top government functionaries.
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