I won’t dualise roads when workers are hungry, being owed salaries – Ex-Oyo Governor, Alao-Akala

A former Governor of Oyo State and Action Democratic Party (ADP) gubernatorial candidate in the 2019 general elections, Chief Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, has declared that he will not dualise any road when workers were being owed seventeen to twenty months salaries.

Alao-Akala, who informed that payment of salaries and pension of our retirees would be a cardinal agenda of his government, added that dualisation of roads was meaningless when people were suffering.

The former Governor, while hosting his running mate, Professor Abideen Olaiya and his supporters in Ogbomoso at the weekend, assured the people of the state of a “masses oriented, people centred administration”.

Alao-Akala while speaking further, said his primary mission was “to return smiles to the faces of the people of Oyo State through developmental projects that will have direct impact on the lives of the citizenry.

He maintained that, “Any responsible and responsive government should prioritize its actions and fashion it out in a way it cater for the needs and aspirations of it citizens. That is why there is what we call opportunity cost in micro-economics theory.

“Our own administration cannot afford to trade with the joy and happiness of the masses, we will prioritize our actions and place premium on developing human capital.

“A hungry man is an angry man. Payment of salaries and pension of our retirees take priority before any other thing. These are ways of ensuring a stable economy and improved standard of living for our people.

“I can categorically tell you that I won’t dualise road when my people are hungry and are being owed salaries of 17 to 20 months. During our first coming, that was our style and nothing will change that rather we have fashioned out ways of improving on our ways of making life more abundant for the good people Oyo state.

“Our own administration will not misplace priorities; we will run Oyo state with the fear of God as our guiding light.

Alao-Akala while speaking on his choice of Olaiya as his running-mate, said it was still a decision centred on his style of putting people first.

He said, “If you take a careful study of this decision, you will see that we are on the right track. Prof. Olaiya is a man of the people, his followership base is unprecedented. He is a leader of men and this quality endeared him to me so much as we fall in the same category.

“His level of commitment to the development of people around him is one the qualities that endeared him to me backed with his political clout. He is a movement on his own and when it comes to political structure, he is balanced and well positioned.

“He is a scholar of repute, an unblemished politician whose track record speaks for itself and a Professional in Politics not a professional politician. In the religious circle, he is a core Muslim who is committed to the teachings of the Holy Prophet and stands by what he believes in. Academically, he is a force to reckon with while his family pedigree in Ibadanland is worthy of note.

“With all these qualities combined with my own structure as an experienced politician and a one time Governor of this State, our administration under the banner of Action Democratic Party will be the best you can point at in years to come in Oyo State.”