A two term former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Muraina Ajibola, has said many people have now realized how difficult it is to get to positions late Lamidi Adedibu got for him and others on a silver platter using the resources God endowed him with.
Saubana, as Ajibola who represented Ibarapa Central/North federal constituency is popularly known, spoke in a recent interview.
OYO INSIGHT recalls that Adedibu died June 11, 2008, a year after guiding former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, a non-Ibadan, to victory.
Asked about his view of the outgoing administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi, he explained that “First and foremost, the mere mention of Oyo State reminds me of the strong man of Oyo politics, the late High Chief Alhaji Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu, of blessed memory, who through the grace of God made many of us what we are today in the politics of Oyo State and indeed Nigeria.
“For those who know and appreciate him for what he did for us, they must by now realise how difficult it is to get to positions he got for us on a silver platter using the resources God endowed him with. May God Almighty grant him Aljanah. Most people can now see how difficult it is to contest for positions, as many have contested and lost elections for positions they would have won easily in the days of Adedibu, the generalissimo of Oyo politics. We miss him dearly.
“Now, back to your question, go and check my records, I have never and will never openly or publicly condemn Senator Abiola Ajimobi or any governor for that matter, as I maintain that it is unlike a Yoruba man brought up in the best customs and traditions of Yorubas to so do. Senator Abiola Ajimobi is not a saint or an angel. He is a human being like any of us with blood flowing in his veins.
“If I have any comment on his administration of Oyo State one way or the other, I prefer to see him to discuss it privately or tell his elderly colleagues who can discuss such with him. Go and check my records, I have never and will never condemn him or any other elderly Yoruba man on the pages of newspaper or publicly. For me as a person brought up in the best traditions of the Yorubas; when an elderly person is in government, rather than condemning him openly, one should do his best to support him irrespective of party differences.
“For the records, I had such golden opportunities when I was in House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015 and I made the best use of them. First, there was a heavy flood that ravaged the whole of Ibadan, destroying many houses and killing many residents. To assist the Oyo State government then being led by Senator Ajimobi, who was of the then ACN while I was in PDP, I moved a motion of urgent national public importance on the flooding on the floor of the House of Representatives. That motion resulted into several resolutions that made the House to send a delegation to commiserate with the Oyo State government and to visit the scenes of the flood. Eventually, provisions were made in the national budget for channelization, which assisted Oyo State to put an end to such floods till date.
“Secondly, I also raised a motion of urgent national public importance on the Bodija Market women that were killed in Maiduguri, Borno State. This motion led to the visit of the House members to commiserate with the families of the deceased and compensations paid to the affected families.
“Rather than being antagonistic and engaging in condemnation of the elders at the slightest opportunity, Yoruba elders whether in or outside government, should be respected, honoured and supported as much as possible to achieve maximum success. It is important to note that I did all these as a PDP member and I have remained in PDP till date,” he added.
