Following the allegations that he contributed little as a minister to the development of Oyo State where he hails from, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, who is in charge of the Ministry of Communications has publicly declared that he had contributed more than anyone as a minister from the state having facilitated projects worth over N350 million since assumption of office less than two years ago.
Shittu disclosed this while speaking to a group of online journalists under the aegis of South West Group of Online Publishers, (SWEGOP) during the group’s breakfast media chat held in Ibadan recently.
He said, “I have facilitated over 350 million naira projects, there is an ICT centre worth 280 million naira in Oke-Ogun, ICT facility at Saki Parapo worth 80 million, there are some in Ogbomoso, Sepeteri, Kishi, and Ibadan. I know that opportunities comes but once.
“If you have anybody complaining about my ambition, you have to ask what his problem is, is he fighting proxy war or he want to be governor.
“They call me fanatic, some of them don’t know the meaning of fanatic. Because I would not drink, I will not steal they are calling me names. The poor people in Oyo State will know that I am not stingy. I am not a minister under PDP where they have money in their disposal, I am a minister under Buhari. It is unfortunate that the Aseyin said that, but it is a minority outburst. People, even prominent traditional rulers have called me that I should ignore it”.
Speaking further, the governorship aspirant insisted that for his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to get it right in 2019, it must conduct free and fair primaries so as not to repeat the recent defeat in the Osun West Senatorial bye election.
“I can assure you that Ajimobi will raise my hands. But I insisted on primary, it will give room for the most credible candidate to emerge, among all of us. You see I am the only one that is insisting on primary election. It is not that because I am a minister that is why I want to become governor, no if I leave office now I will say Alhamdulillahi, but that does not mean I will not purse the governorship ambition. The post has exposed me and gave me edge to be the most qualified.
“The APC is better educated with what happened in Osun West recently, gone are the days when somebody will sit down somewhere and say this is the person we want. The era of impunity is gone”, the minister warned.
