How are you doing? It has been a very eventful past week for me. I cut short my annual leave so I could be in Ibadan to perform my constitutional duty as Governor of Oyo State, presenting the Certificate and Instrument of Office and Symbol of Authority to my father, His Imperial Majesty Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, Arusa 1, as he ascended the throne of his fathers as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadan.

Let me once again thank all who came from far and near to share in this historic celebration.

Since my return, I have gone straight to work, and I am happy to report that we are well on our way to resolving the lingering issues with the health workers at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso. An incident that occurred while I was there set the tone for my book of the month.

Yes, I have finally picked a book to read: Money: A Story of Humanity by David McWilliams. This book is helping me reflect on deeper questions: what truly builds a society, how wealth is created and shared, and how power must be constrained by trust. McWilliams reminds us that money is more than coins or notes — it is a technology of human cooperation, a bond of trust, and a mirror of our values.

I believe this insight is especially timely for us in Oyo State, as we joined the rest of the country to celebrate our national independence and marked the recent peaceful PDP Oyo State Congress. These are not mere political milestones; they are opportunities to affirm that governance, even in the realm of power and resources, must be rooted in trust, responsibility, and fairness.

The recent PDP Oyo State Congress was held without rancour, and we now look forward to our Ibadan convention in November with hope rather than fear. This is a major win — for the party, for democracy, and for you, the people.

We must guard this momentum. A convention grounded in fair processes, open debate, inclusivity, and respect will not only strengthen our party internally but also send a powerful message: that politics can be dignified. It will show that we can manage disagreement without disunity, and that ambition can be channelled into constructive progress rather than conflict.

As McWilliams argues, money is, in many ways, a social contract — it works only when people believe in its meaning, when institutions act with integrity, and when the system is fair.

As I turn the pages of Money: A Story of Humanity, I am reminded that money, like politics, is a tool. In a world where financial power often dictates destiny, our responsibility is to harness it for community, for dignity, and for shared progress.

Let our collective ambition in Oyo State be to build trust and deepen purpose.

If governance is ultimately about the bond between the governor and the governed, then my purpose is to ensure that bond is renewed by every act, every promise, and every Naira spent.

Thank you for your patience, for your faith, and for your partnership. Together, we shall chart a course that is not merely about power or money, but about legacy, service, and honour.