How have you been? I hope you are doing fine and doing your best to cope with the everyday pressures of life? Although life cannot ever be totally free from troubles, we continue to work daily to ensure that we make the journey more stress-free for the good people of Oyo State. 

To celebrate newsletter no 40, I want to talk about something that happened recently that convinced me that I made the right choice to persevere in my bid to be elected the Governor of Oyo State.

On Thursday, June 23, 2022, I got what I would describe as an emotional and touching visit from Madam Okunlola Eunice Olaninhun.

Madam Olaninhun is a widowed retiree from the Oyo State civil service. She retired nine years ago in 2013, but that was a time in our history when the needs of retirees were not prioritised. Because her husband died before his gratuity was paid, she made a promise, then, that if she ever received her gratuity in her lifetime in good health, she would give 10% to God and 1% to whoever is in government that facilitated the payment. Last week, she came to redeem her pledge of N30,495.00. 

Madam Olaninhun’s visit will go down as one of the most touching moments for me as the Governor of Oyo State. Of course, I knew that our policies and programmes were making an impact on people’s lives in general. But to have someone so directly affected visit and say the things she said was overwhelmingly humbling. It motivates me to do even more.

I wanted to use this newsletter to openly acknowledge her for the part she has played in reassuring me that all our sacrifices are worth the effort. I believe that God used her to pass a message to me. And so, in those quiet moments when I ask myself if I should have remained in the private sector and continued to do the little I could in that corner, I will remember Madam Okunlola Eunice Olaninhun and say to myself, “you did the right thing in putting yourself forward to serve the good people of Oyo State”.

Let me stop here now, and go back to the business of ensuring that we continue to create the right environment for the good people of Oyo State to flourish and be blessed.