Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has been described as a transformative leader, given his vision, innovation and inclusive governance style.
All the above attributes, it was further stated, have brought about unprecedented development in the state.
Comrade Zainab Popoola, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ZEnergy Tours, expressed the above view in an interview with The People’s Verdict, on Monday.
She noted: “My governor is a transformative leader. You can see that Oyo State is already becoming one of the best in Nigeria, if not number one, currently.
“Governor ‘Seyi Makinde is a transformative leader and I pray the Almighty God will give him more strength.”
Popoola, an advocate of inclusivity, also said: “My governor is a youth-friendly governor. He is someone that cares about the masses.
“Governor “Seyi Makinde promotes youth-centred policies and youth empowerment. My governor is actually doing amazing work in this regard.”
She added: “My governor has been supporting the aspirations of young people through youth-centred policies and by putting young people in positions of authority.
“We have the first youth ever to become a commissioner in Oyo State at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
“This office has created a room for young people to see themselves as close to the executive arm of government. Young people can easily walk to the commissioner and say, ‘I have this idea.’”
Talking about how the governor has supported youths in Oyo State, the ZEnergy Tour CEO said: “The one that is close to me is the Youth Empowerment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP).
“That programme is a great opportunity for people to learn about agribusiness and to practise it.
“As a young person, if you are passionate about agriculture, the governor has provided training opportunities and, at the same time, empowerment programme for youths to leverage all the skills they have acquired over the years.
“Through the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) programme, the governor was able to set up a committee with specific focus on food security.
“Through this committee, the governor was able to provide loans for youths that had been trained in agribusiness.
“We have the Oyo State Youth Agency and, at the same time, we have the Oyo State Youth Summit.
“These programmes are centred on bringing together different youths from different walks of life to get necessary empowerment that is very important for their livelihood.”
Popoola, a major player in the tourism sector in the state, said: “Oyo State is actually one of the best tourism states in Nigeria.
“You can see that there is a lot of growing opportunities and there is a lot of growing destinations and that is all thanks to our governor, His Excellency ‘Seyi Makinde.
“In his first term in office, he was able to fix a lot of infrastructure centred on promoting tourism destinations. In Ibadan, for instance, we have a newly-built Olubadan Palace.
“If you are visiting Ibadan and you want to get yourself immersed in the cultural heritage of the city, you go to the Palace, you get to learn about the history of Ibadan, and how the city was founded during the time of Lagelu, up to the 44th Olubadan that will be inaugurated very soon.
“If you want to explore places outside Ibadan, the world’s natural suspended lake is located here in Oyo State as well as other great sites.
“Our governor has done a lot in making sure that the ministry (Culture and Tourism) is a working ministry, the infrastructure is excellent, and the security, from the Nigeria Police Force to Amotekun Corps, is excellent.
“Governor Makinde has done well in making sure that tourism in Oyo State is one of the best.”
Comrade Popoola further said: “He is people-focused. Governor Makinde has done excellently well in security, education, technology, tourism development and so many other sectors.”
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