George Santayana was a Spanish-American philosopher, essayist, novelist, and poet, widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Santayana is especially famous for one of the most quoted lines in philosophy:
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (from his book The Life of Reason). The quote emphasizes the importance of learning from history to avoid repeating mistakes.
Few quotations capture the burden of history more profoundly than these timeless words of the Spanish-American philosopher. Every society eventually arrives at a defining moment when it must choose between learning from yesterday or becoming its prisoner.
Nations rise when they build on the foundations laid by successive generations; they stumble when every new beginning is mistaken for a fresh start.
Oyo State now stands at such a crossroads, where memory must compete with emotion, and evidence must triumph over political theatrics.
The British statesman and historian, Sir Winston Churchill, once said that, “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.”
It was not merely a lesson in history but a warning against the dangerous habit of making decisions without perspective.
Development is never accidental; it is the product of deliberate planning, alignment with succession plans, institutional continuity and the courage to pursue long-term goals even when immediate political rewards are uncertain.
A people who constantly uproot the tree they planted yesterday because another promises faster shade tomorrow may never enjoy the comfort of its branches.
Equally instructive are the words of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, who said, “Study the past if you would define the future.”
Every generation inherits not only the achievements of those before it but also the responsibility to preserve, improve and pass them on.
Governance, therefore, should not resemble a relay race in which each new runner throws away the baton to begin afresh. Rather, it should be a continuous journey where every administration builds upon existing foundations for the collective good of the people.
Closer to home, Africa’s enduring wisdom speaks with remarkable clarity. As the Akan people of Ghana remind us, “The one who climbs a good tree deserves a push.”
The proverb is not an invitation to blind loyalty but a recognition that when a leader pursues policies that bear fruit for the common good, society has a duty to encourage continuity instead of sabotaging progress for narrow political interests.
Likewise, the Yoruba saying, “A river that forgets its source will soon run dry,” reminds us that the future can only be secured by understanding the path that brought us to the present.
It is against this backdrop that one fundamental question confronts the people of Oyo State as another electoral cycle approaches: What exactly does Oyo want?
Does the Pacesetter State seek to institutionalise good governance and sustain a carefully laid development agenda, or will it once again gamble with its future by allowing propaganda, emotional blackmail and partisan passions to overshadow measurable progress?
The answer to that question may well determine whether Oyo continues to lead as Nigeria’s true Pacesetter or merely wears the title as a fading badge of past glory.
History is not merely a collection of dates and names; it is the mirror through which a people see their future. As another political season gradually approaches in Oyo State, every citizen must ask a simple but uncomfortable question: What exactly do we want?
Do we truly desire development that outlives politicians, or are we content to keep pressing the reset button every election season?
Do we want a government that plants iroko trees for future generations, or do we prefer leaders who merely decorate the compound with flowers that wither after the first harmattan?
These are not questions for politicians alone. They are questions for traders in Bodija, farmers in Ibarapa, artisans in Ogbomoso, teachers in Oke-Ogun, civil servants in Ibadan and every young person searching for opportunities.
Because, as another African proverb reminds us, “when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.” In politics, it is often the ordinary people who bear the consequences of poor choices.
Since the return of democracy in 1999, Oyo State has travelled a long and winding road. Every administration has carried its own basket to the market.
The late Lam Adesina rekindled hope in public education at a time when many schools had become shadows of themselves. Rashidi Ladoja brought financial prudence and institutional discipline despite fierce political storms that almost swallowed his administration.
Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala took development beyond the city centre, extending government presence into many rural communities where people had almost forgotten what governance looked like.
Abiola Ajimobi changed the physical face of Ibadan through urban renewal, road construction and improved public security, leaving behind a city that looked remarkably different from the one he inherited.
Each governor wrote a chapter in Oyo’s democratic history. None was without faults. None possessed a magic wand. But every administration added a brick to the house called Oyo State.
Unlike many politicians who begin governance by looking only at the next election, Makinde appeared to begin by asking what Oyo State should look like decades from now. Instead of planting vegetables that would be harvested within months, he began planting economic trees whose fruits may be enjoyed long after he leaves office.
His Omituntun Agenda, and later Omituntun 2.0, is more than a campaign slogan. It is a development blueprint built around infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, industrialisation, security, workers’ welfare and economic expansion.
Whether one belongs to the ruling party or the opposition, it is difficult to deny that this administration has pursued governance with unusual emphasis on planning rather than improvisation.
There is another proverb that says, “a man who wants to climb a tall iroko tree must begin from the ground.” That appears to be the philosophy behind many of Makinde’s projects.
Take the 110-kilometre Senator Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road, for example.
To the casual observer, it may simply look like another road project. But to investors and development experts, it is an economic corridor capable of changing the future of Oyo State.
Roads do not merely connect places; they connect opportunities. They reduce transport costs, open up new communities, attract industries and create wealth.
The Circular Road is designed to unlock thousands of hectares of land for housing, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture and commercial development. It is not a project meant only for today’s commuters; it is an investment intended to shape tomorrow’s economy.
The same long-term thinking explains the ongoing upgrade of Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport into an international facility.
For decades, many people accepted that Ibadan should remain merely a domestic airport. Makinde thought differently. His administration envisioned an airport capable of attracting international cargo operations, agricultural exports, foreign investors and global business opportunities.
It is often said that “the bird that flies highest sees farther than the one hopping from branch to branch.” Vision separates managers from builders.
Across the state, hundreds of kilometres of roads have either been completed or are under construction. But these roads are not merely ribbons of asphalt. They are lifelines connecting farmers to markets, businesses to customers, hospitals to patients and schools to communities.
For years, politicians spoke endlessly about agriculture without moving beyond speeches. Under the present administration, mechanisation, tractor subsidies, agribusiness partnerships and the Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub have gradually transformed agriculture from subsistence farming into a commercial enterprise capable of attracting local and international investment.
The dream is no longer simply to produce food. The dream is to build an agricultural economy.
Perhaps one of the administration’s greatest strengths has been its understanding that economic development means little if ordinary citizens cannot feel its impact. That’s why a hungry man does not celebrate GDP figures.
This is why workers’ welfare has remained central to government policy.
Despite economic uncertainties facing Nigeria, Oyo became one of the first states to implement the new minimum wage.
Salaries have remained steadily consistent. Pensioners have enjoyed improved welfare through pension reviews and increased minimum pensions.
Thousands of teachers, healthcare workers and other public servants have equally been recruited.
Government, after all, is not only about constructing bridges of concrete. It is also about building bridges of hope between citizens and the future.
Education has witnessed remarkable attention.
Schools have been renovated. Classrooms rebuilt. Furniture supplied. Teachers recruited. Digital learning programmes introduced. Technical education strengthened.
The goal appears simple: prepare children not merely to pass examinations but to compete in a rapidly changing world.
Healthcare has followed the same path.
Primary healthcare centres are being upgraded across local governments. Medical personnel have been employed.
Free medical outreach programmes continue reaching vulnerable citizens. Digital innovations are gradually improving healthcare delivery.
The administration has also consistently invested in security.
While no governor controls the armed forces or the police, Makinde has strengthened collaboration with security agencies, Amotekun, local vigilantes and intelligence services.
The successful rescue of victims in several kidnapping cases, including the painful Oriire school abduction, demonstrated that coordinated security architecture can produce results even under difficult circumstances.
No society develops where fear becomes a permanent resident, that’s another reason why infrastructure under Makinde has equally expanded beyond roads.
Modern bus terminals, bridges, markets, housing projects, environmental improvements and water schemes have gradually changed both urban and rural landscapes.
Equally significant is fiscal management.
Rather than borrowing recklessly to impress voters, the administration has consistently argued that debt should finance productive assets capable of generating future economic returns.
This explains the emphasis on infrastructure, industrialisation and investment attraction rather than short-lived political projects.
Yet, despite these visible achievements, political conversations in Oyo often resemble the old folktale of the man who abandoned a ripe yam because someone promised him an elephant that existed only in stories.
Instead of discussing measurable development indicators, economic expansion or improved public services, political actors frequently resort to emotional blackmail, propaganda, misinformation and personal attacks.
Facts become casualties.
Social media has continued to amplify rumours until lies begin wearing the clothes of truth.
Unfortunately, politics in Nigeria sometimes resembles a noisy marketplace where the loudest trader attracts buyers, even when his goods are empty baskets. The greatest victims are usually ordinary citizens.
An elderly woman selling tomatoes is not concerned about political insults. She wants better roads, affordable transportation and security.
A young graduate searching for employment is not interested in endless political quarrels. He wants opportunities.
A farmer wants access to markets, teachers want improved classrooms, and pensioners want dignity.
Development speaks a language that ordinary people understand. There is another timeless African proverb: “No matter how beautiful the bird’s feathers may be, they cannot replace the nest.”
Politics should never become more important than governance because campaigns end, Billboards fade, slogans disappear, but roads, Hospitals, Schools,
Airports, Economic policies, and the future of the people, all remain.
Perhaps the greatest test before Oyo State today is not choosing another governor.
It is deciding whether development should become a continuous relay race or a game of snakes and ladders where every new administration starts from the beginning.
The world’s most successful societies did not become prosperous because every leader was extraordinary.
They prospered because successive governments protected strategic policies regardless of political differences.
Constructive criticism remains essential in every democracy. No government should ever be beyond accountability. Leaders must always answer to the people. However, criticism built on falsehood is like a man who burns his own barn simply because he dislikes the farmer.
In the end, elections should not be competitions in who tells the most attractive story. They should be examinations of evidence.
As Oyo moves steadily towards another electoral cycle, every voter must decide whether to cast a ballot with emotion or with memory and logical reasoning.
Because history has taught humanity one enduring lesson: a people who repeatedly abandon the bridge they are building because someone promises a shorter path often discover, too late, that the promised road leads nowhere.
The Pacesetter State earned its name by leading others, not by wandering in circles. The challenge before Oyo today is no longer whether it can set the pace, it has done so before. The real challenge is whether it has the courage, wisdom and political maturity to sustain that pace.
For, as our elders often remind us, “the river that forgets its source will eventually dry up.” Equally true is another timeless African proverb: “When you are on the right path, do not leave it because someone is shouting from the bush.”
Oyo must decide whether it will continue building a house for generations unborn or keep demolishing its own foundation every four years in pursuit of fleeting political excitement.
The answer, ultimately, does not lie in Government House. It lies in the conscience of the people and the political actors with unquenchable thirst for power and wealth acquisition.