21st February, 2019
Mr Bayo Adelabu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, says his ambition is to transform the lives of underprivileged persons in the state if elected.
Adelabu stated this on Thursday in Ibadan at an interactive session organised by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Oyo State for governorship candidates of five political parties in the state.
The APC governorship candidate said that all his programmes like the agricultural value-chain, rural road network and health initiatives would have a direct impact on the people at the grassroots.
He said that his grandfather, Adegoke Adelabu, who was popularly known as “penkelemesi,’’ had laid a legacy for the family by assisting the downtrodden.
“I don’t want to be governor by all means and I cannot come here and lie to older people like you about what I cannot do.
“I assure you that the person you have been waiting for to transform Oyo State is here because my family has a name to protect which I can never destroy.
“I solicit for your support by voting for me as the next governor of the state and I am sure you will never regret your action,’’ Adelabu said.
Adelabu also said he has businesses where he had employed more than 600 people with their salaries paid regularly, adding that he would never watch people suffer.
He said pensioners’ entitlements and pensions were not a favour from the government but an entitlement worked for during the service years.
The APC standard bearer promised not to run a government that would be paying government appointees and neglecting the salaries of workers and pensioners.
He asserted that where there was no money to pay workers’ salaries, there would no money to pay government officials.
Earlier, Mr Olusegun Abatan, Oyo State NUP secretary, said the aim of the interactive session was to interact with the governorship candidates and ascertain those that would better serve the interest of pensioners.
Abatan reiterated that pensioners in the state were suffering due to unpaid arrears of pension and gratuities.