I Am Distressed” — Makinde Opens Up On Humble Background, Recalls Father’s Life As Teacher

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has called on Nigerians to avoid politicising the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Makinde made the appeal during a peaceful protest held at his office in Ibadan by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

The governor cautioned against blaming either the state government or President Bola Tinubu, stressing the need for unity in addressing the rising insecurity in the country.

He described the period as one of national distress and urged citizens to focus on collective action rather than political accusations.

“This is a time of national distress. It is not the time to trade blame. It is not the time to play politics. I am personally distressed. My own father was a primary school teacher. He actually taught at Awole Dada, less than 15 kilometres away from where this incident happened. My father was there in 1959 and 1960. If something like this had happened to him, maybe I wouldn’t even have been born,” he said.

Makinde maintained that the tragedy should not be used as a platform for political criticism, emphasizing that insecurity requires a coordinated national response.

“This is not the time for us to say it is the President that should have handled this, or it is the Governor, or the local government. This is a time to pull together as one,” he added.