Oyo State governor-elect, Seyi Makinde, said yesterday that what is upper most in his mind at the moment is how to provide good governance and entrench a government that will provide needed succour to Oyo residents.
According to the governor-elect, the people of Oyo have suffered enough over the past four years and they needed a government that would make them happy.
Makinde spoke at the Senator Rashidi Ladoja Ramadan Lecture held at the Watershed Event Centre, Ibadan yesterday.
Emphasising that the essence of Ramadan is to entrench love among humanity and make the people move closer to God, the governor-elect noted that about two months ago, people were at each other’s throat because of politics, but now that electioneering has gone, what is paramount now in his mind is how to give people good governance.
In his lecture, the Chief Imam of Offa, Kwara State, Sheik Salimon Muideen, urged political leaders not to allow power to override their sense of judgment.
He stressed the need for leaders to always watch their tongue at all times to avoid the wrath of God.
The Islamic cleric said: “The Prophet Muhammad was on his way to see Allah, he saw a small stone, where emerged a huge cow.
“The huge cow was struggling to reenter the small stone but couldn’t. An angel thereafter revealed to the Holy Prophet that the cow was a word, while the stone was the mouth. When a word is out of the mouth, it cannot find its way back.
“Those who believe they could say it all to Obas, chiefs, elites and to the messengers of God have had themselves to blame.”
The Islamic scholar emphasised the need for the governor-elect to have in mind all those who assisted him to rise to power.
The Ramadan lecture, which was attended by scores of leaders of different political groups, had in attendance the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji as the royal father of the day and other eminent personalities.
Among personalities at the occasion were the Oyo State gubernatorial candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, Sarafadeen Ali, chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party, captains of industries and Ibadan Mogajis led by Chief Nureni Akanbi.