Opposition wait on us like foxes, Ajimobi tells APC factions

He made this known at the weekend while witnessing the graduation of trainees of a skills acquisition centre organized by the Ibadan North Local Government.

According to the governor, he had heard that many members of the party were grouping themselves into factions which they named SENACO, Lamists and many more, urging them to abandon factions and empower the party.

Governor Ajimobi told the party faithful that the foxes in the opposition parties wanted to capitalize on the attempts being made by some party members to factionalize the party to come back to power by the back door, stating that it was only a united party that could sustain the APC in power.

“I am not governor of a faction of the party but governor of all. When you are united, you can pose a formidable threat against the opposition. The change that our party has brought to Oyo State and governance in general is not enough; we need the unity of our party members to forge ahead. That is why we need to reconcile aggrieved members so that our party can be the formidable party it has always been,” Governor Ajimobi said.

Reminding the people that former governor of the state, Late Alhaji Lam Adesina, in his life time, desired that the party would unite to confront the opposition, the governor urged all members of the party to honour the memory of the late leader of the party by coming together.

“Be united so that we can continue to be in power as progressives. In-fighting among us can retard progress. Great Alhaji Lam Adesina, when we were all scrambling for nomination of the ACN, always told me not to mind the scramblers; that I was his choice. So who can be more of a Lamist than me? Why then would anyone who claims to be a supporter of Alhaji Lam not support his son whom he fought tooth and nail to ensure that he is in office?” he asked.

Earlier, the governor had commended the Caretaker Chairman of Ibadan North council, Mr. Idris Lapade, for his empowerment programme through the training of about two thousands jobless people, stating that it was the kernel of his administration to train people in the acquisition of skills.

“Oyo State boasts of a great number of people who are artisans and engage in skilled jobs. Rather than give them fish on a daily basis, thereby making them continually subservient and dependent on tokens, once you give them the net with which to fish, you have provided the people a life line.

“This is why vocational training and empowerment programmes are key in the estimation of our administration. In empowering our people by providing them vocational training, we are empowering a great army of our people whose operations are germane to the success of government,” the governor said.

Governor Ajimobi said the vocational trainings and empowerment programmes might look ordinary and seemingly insignificant but in terms of reach, they would penetrate the nooks and crannies of society and benefit a great percentage of our people.

“This is why I salute the decision of the Caretaker Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, Mr. Idris Lapade, to continue in the tradition of our administration in making strategic inroads into the hearts of the people. Beneficiaries of this vocational training programme are not just the people you see here today. The list is endless. Its ripple and multiplier effects are unimaginable as it benefits a string of people.

“This graduation ceremony is a leap forward in the empowerment of our people. Graduands of today who received training in hairdressing, catering and hotel management, electrical installation, barbing, furniture and wood works, computer ICT training etc must consider themselves lucky,” the governor said.

Earlier, the Caretaker Chairman, Mr. Lapade, had praised the governor for his presence at the occasion, stating that he was following the footsteps of the governor in empowerment of the people.