I Cannot Chase Traders Off The Street Without Giving Them An Alternative – Gov Seyi Makinde

Posted by: Folamidavid in News, Politics Dec 26, 2019

Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde has revealed the reason for deciding not to chase traders off the streets of the state, without creating an alternative for them.

Gov Makinde said this at the Oja Oba Central Mosque, Ibadan, during a special prayer to commemorate his 52nd birthday.

According to the governor, he also halked on the street at Yemetu market in Ibadan, so he knows what they are going through.

He added that he needs the prayers of the people.

His words, “Somebody said that I was quoted as saying that I would not chase away street traders without providing them with alternatives. Yes, that is true because I know the mentality of street trading. I once sold bread by the roadside in Yemetu.

“I said so because we cannot send them away until we provide an alternative for them. And we have started enforcing that. We did that at Ojoo where we asked people not to trade at the point where we want to situate our modern terminus.”

“Your prayers are important to me. It doesn’t matter if we have a multitude. What we have here is a quality crowd.”

Is he making sense?

Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde (born 25 December 1967) is a Nigerian businessman, politician and philanthropist. He is the governor of Oyo State in South-western Nigeria. He is an engineer and a subject matter expert on fluid and gas metering. Until August 2018, he was the Group Managing Director of Makon Group Limited; an indigenous oil and gas company in Nigeria. He established his first oil and gas private business called Makon Engineering and Technical Services, (METS) at the age of 29 in the year 1997, after earning years of work experience with international oil and gas companies.

Makinde contested for the Oyo State 2015 gubernatorial seat on the platform Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Makinde was born to a renowned teacher turned accountant, late Pa Olatubosun Makinde and Madam Abigail Makinde of Aigbofa Compound in Oja’ba, Ibadan. He is the third child of the family.

Makinde began his education at St Paul Primary School and completed his primary education at St Michael Primary School, Yemetu, Ibadan. His secondary education was at Bishop Phillips Academy, Monatan, Ibadan. In 1985, he gained admission to the University of Lagos (Unilag) where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.