- Safiu Kehinde
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has urged political actors to stop playing politics with the schoolteachers and students’ abduction in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
This is coming hours after former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, accused the Oyo government of orchestrating the kidnap of the students and teachers.
NPO Reported that Fayose had during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today programme on Monday alleged that the kidnap was orchestrated to blackmail President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Reacting during his address to members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) at the Oyo State Government House on Tuesday, Makinde declared the development a time of national distress.
He disclosed being personally distressed over the incident as it occurred few kilometres away from a primary school where his father worked.
“Let me say this clearly, this is a time of national distress. It is not the time to trade blames. It is not the time to play politics. I am personally distressed.
“My own father was a primary school teacher. He actually taught in Ahoro-Dada less than 15 kilometres where this incident happened. My father was there 1959-1960.” He said.
The Oyo governor appealed to the NUT, NANS, and NLC to trust the government’s ongoing rescue effort.
“It is not the time to say it is the President that should have handled this, it is the governor or the local government. This is the time to pull together as one.
“We are not dealing with normal human beings. Just think briefly, how will somebody take his fellow human being and slaughter him?
“Is that somebody that is normal? These are not normal people, and I can only appeal to you both the students, workers, and teachers to please have trust in your government.” He said.
Makinde disclosed that the Federal Government officials and security operatives had been largely deployed to the state since the incident as he reiterated his plea with the unions to work with the government.
“We are doing our best. I’ve heard from the Federal Government and security operatives that have been here for the past two weeks. They spent their Sallah here.
“I’ve been meeting with them morning, night, and sometimes three to four times in a day.
“We shouldn’t provide oxygen to the people that want to see us divided. The response at this time should be to put together and allow the government to see this through.”