As residents give him a tumultuous welcome
The residents of Osun on Thursday trooped out in large numbers to receive the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola to the state.
Oyetola was received with fanfare by the people of the state and loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who assembled at different locations to catch a glimpse of the immediate past Governor of the State.
Recall that Oyetola was appointed and sworn-in as Marine and Blue Economy minister by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu few days ago.
Oyetola who arrived Asejire, the border town of Osun and Oyo states from Lagos was formally received by the residents that thronged out in large number.
The mammoth crowd who had gotten the hint of his arrival to the state trooped out in their hundreds to welcome him at Ikire in Irewole Local Government Area of the State. Similarly, the Minister was equally received at Gbongan and Ode-Omu in Ayedaade Local Government Area as well as Sekona and Akoda in Ede-South Local Government Area until he arrived Osogbo, the state capital. From Osogbo through Ajegunle up to Ikirun and Iragbiji, his country home, the crowd was electrifying.
Addressing the people who had already awaited for his arrival at the Tinubu/Shettima campaign office, Oyetola expressed gratitude to the people of the state for their unalloyed support to him and the APC both in the state and at the national level over the years.
He commended the large turnout of the people of the state and declared that it was clear indication that the party remains united in the state with widespread appeal across the state.
He endorsed the expulsion and suspension of the erring members of the party nothing that the worse one can do to his or her party is to engage in anti-party conducts to the extent of loosing an election without showing any remorse.
“Ours is thanksgiving for all what God has done for us. We thank God that our victory was affirmed by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal yesterday. It affirmed the victory of our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The Ministerial appointment given to me is for you all. I am for all. The ministry is for you and other Nigerians. It is pertinent to thank God in everything. Sometimes He tries us to test our faith. Indeed, man proposes, God dispose. One may be thinking to buy a car but God’s plan for such an entity may be different.
“Truly we were struggling for a second term but God knows it is not yet time, He gave us a President and today, He has given us a Minister.”
“I am happy that our party is united and formidable. We are truly removing chaffs from the grains, and by the grace of God, our party would be structured.”
“APC is our party and it belongs to everyone of us. If truly it is our common patrimony, then, nobody should think of destroying the party.”
“There is room for reconciliation. We are for genuine reconciliation not otherwise. It is incumbent on us all to build the party not to destroy it. We must endeavour to ensure that whoever that wants to reconcile is truly ready for it and he or she must be remorseful of his or her past misdeeds.
“I want the loyalists of our party to remain steadfast not to be depressed by the events that led us to where we are. We thank God that we won the centre.
“The era of empowerment has come. The era of jobs creation has come and to our youths, your time has come too. We have started working on how to empower you all. I am very glad to see the crowd everywhere despite the fact that they were not informed that I was coming.
“The presence of our people today shows that we are in-charge, we are more united and more stronger ever than before. Seeing our party leaders here today also gives credence to the existing unity, formidability and cohesion in our party.”
“As you surprised me with your presence and support, I will equally surprise you all by performance. I pray God to continue to uphold you as you have been doing for us”, Oyetola said.
Earlier, the immediate past Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye extolled Oyetola’s resilience and forthrightness which according to him had been the pillar and unifier to the party.
The mini reception was attended by the who-is-who in the APC with members of the State Executive Council led by the party Chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal; members of the State Working Committee; former members of the State Executive Council; former chairmen and Councillors, political groups, APC loyalists among others.
