All eyes right now appears to be focused on the man of the moment, Gov. Seyi Makinde who on Monday publicly declared his assets thus taking a step only the late President Umaru Yar’Adua has been able to take.

Born 25th December 1967 as Oluwseyi Biodun Makinde, in Oyo state, he was sworn-in as governor of the state on May 29, 2019 as the 28th governor.

Apparently Gov. Seyi Makinde was already made before venturing into politics.

According to the statement containing the details of the asset form made public by the Chief Press Secretary to Makinde, Mr Taiwo Adisa, the governor of Oyo State has cash at hand and in the bank worth N234, 742,296.01, as of May 28, 2019.

The statement said, “The houses declared by the governor include nine buildings in Nigeria, two in the United States of America and one in South Africa.

According to the statement, the governor has properties and household items worth N2, 624,800,500.

In dollars, the governor declared properties and household items worth $4,400,000.

His Companies

He is the founder and Group Managing Director of Makon Engineering and Technical Services Limited, Energy Traders and Technical Services Limited, Makon Oil and Gas Limited, Makon Group Limited, Makon Construction Limited and Makon Power System Limited.

The asset declaration form indicated that Makinde’s four companies had additional assets denominated as loan notes, including Makon Engineering and Technical Services Limited(N1.7 bn); Makon Power System Limited(N148.4 m); Makon Oil and Gas Limited(N34m); Energy Traders and Technical Services Limited(N1.159bn) totalling N3.389bn.

He established his first oil and gas private business called Makon Engineering and Technical Services, (METS) at the age of 29 in the year 1997, after earning years of work experience with international oil and gas companies.

 

His Early Years

Engineer Oluwaseyi Abiodun Makinde was born on the 25th December, 1967 at Catholic Hospital Oluyoro, Ibadan, Oyo State to late Pa Olatubosun Makinde and Madam Abigail Makinde of Aigbofa Compound, Oja’ba Ibadan, Oyo State.

He attended St Michael’s Primary School, Yemetu in Ibadan; Oyo State. Also, he attended Bishop Phillips Academy, Monatan Ibadan and the University of Lagos, Akoka Yaba, Lagos from where he graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1990.

He was trained in Industrial Control Services in Houston, Texas in 1998; and Development of Analytical Competence at Lagos Business School (now Pan African University) in 1999. He also studied Fundamentals of Crude Sampling at Jiskoot Auto Control Training Centre, Kent England in 2002 and in Understanding and Solving Complex Business Problems at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA in 2005.

In 1985, after gaining admission into the University of Lagos; Oluwaseyi Makinde relocated to Lagos to attend University of Lagos and he graduated as an Electrical Engineer. While still at the University of Lagos; he did his internship (industrial attachment) at Shell Petroleum Development Company for one year before graduating from the University of Lagos in 1990 to work full-time for the same company for two years.

During his undergraduate years at the University of Lagos; the young Oluwaseyi Makinde made several remarkable innovations namely; the conversion of gas measurement devices to meet API 14.3 standard in Nigeria. Design and construction of a portable DC to AC converter (this was a mini project in his third year at the University of Lagos in 1988). Also; the designing of a microprocessor based DC motor controller as his final year project at the University of Lagos in 1990.

 

Political Adventure

In 2007, Makinde contested for the Oyo South Senatorial seat under the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but lost to the People’s Democratic Party candidate- Kamoru Adedibu. Makinde remained undeterred by his first failed attempt and in 2010; under the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, he aspired for the Oyo South 2011 Senatorial seat but lost the primary to the incumbent Oyo South Senator.

In 2014, Makinde aimed for the Oyo State 2015 governorship ticket under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). In December 2014, upon the conclusion of the party’s primary election, he was denied the governorship nomination ticket. Makinde however, remained true to his ambition and defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), under which platform he contested for the Oyo State 2015 SDP gubernatorial candidate, but lost out in the end.

In September 2017, the Caretaker National Chairman of PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi visited him in Ibadan and following extensive, deep and wide consultations with National Leaders, Oyo State leaders and elders of the Social Democratic Party, and cross sections of strategic partners within Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde returned to his former political party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He maintained that joining the PDP was not for personal gains but for the development of the State by finding lasting solutions to the array of problems facing the State. On September 29, 2018, Makinde emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 general elections for Oyo State, after polling 2772 votes at the primary election that took place at liberty stadium,Oke Ado in Ibadan.

Seyi Makinde was elected into the Office of the Governor of Oyo State at the 2019 Gubernatorial elections for Oyo State which held on March 9th, 2019. He polled 515, 621 votes defeating his closest rival, Mr Adebayo Adelabu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 357,982 votes.

Makinde was sworn in as the 28th executive Governor of Oyo State on 29th May,2019. He took over from Senator Abiola Ajimobi after the latter’s eight years in office.

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