In just a matter of hours, we will bid the year 2023 bye bye and we will be ushered into the new year 2024.
For the Governor of Oyo state, the year 2023 must be a fulfilling one, most especially, considering the fact that he was able to secure a second term in office in March of 2023.
Having secured the desired second term in office, one would have expected the Governor to immediately hit the ground running, having in mind the fact that he, at that point, had very little time to straighten and reshape whatever he wants to leave behind him as a Legacy of being the second person after late Governor Ajimobi to successfully secure a second term as Governor of Oyo state.
Unfortunately, the Governor got lost in the euphoria of his election for a second term and chose to engage in frivolities, recklessness and theatrics.
Immediately after the second term election, Governor Makinde began a crusade of Father Christmas, dashing out exotic cars as gifts to selected press men, musicians and all manner of individuals considered as “patriots” in the cause of securing his second term in office.
The euphoria of that fiscal responsibility was yet to die down when the Governor and his erstwhile Garrison commander and chairman of the Parks Management System, Mukaila Auxillary engaged in a dirty battle of grits.
Makinde had alleged Auxiliary of being in possession of illegal firearms and the police promptly declared Auxillary wanted after a deadly raid on his Hotel and residential buildings.
Though, Makinde and the police made heavy weather of the whole scenario but it ended as one of the many theatrics from the stable of the Oyo state Governor and more were to follow.
2023 was a year Governor Makinde began to forget himself and the limitations of the office of the Governor he occupies.
Or how will one explain the sad Drama of the statement he made with regards to the needles tussles in respect of the stools of some first class Obas?
The Governor, while presenting the staff of office to the Soun of Ogbomosho had ” directed” litigants who felt aggrieved by processes leading to the nominations of Obas in their domains to ” withdraw the cases they filed in courts” failing which he threatened to ” use the instruments of office” to deal with them!
I have never heard of or seen anything as petty and absurd as such reckless and unguarded statements coming out from the mouth of someone in such a high office.
Unfortunately, about a week or two after that, during an interactive session, the Governor still repeated the petty and futile threats.
In fact, there is no time I remember the Governor’s statements that I don’t laugh my heart out.
Isn’t he hilarious!
For example, in the case of the Soun of Ogbomosho, the Governor himself and the installed Oba are the ones who have filled an Appeal against the judgment of the High court that they were disatisfied with.
Let us even assume the Governor have the power he tried to wield, is it not him who will withdraw the Appeal he filled or how does he expect respondents to his Appeal to approach the court to withdraw an Appeal they never filed!?
During his interactive session, he also alluded to the fact that some Kingmakers in Oyo Town collected bribes in the process of selecting a particular candidate and I ask myself, what is Governor Makinde’s business and interest in the choice of Alaafin of Oyo beyond approving the candidate submitted by the Kingmakers?
Ta la na, ta ni ara nro?
The one that tops it for me is the voyage to nowhere by Governor Makinde in the case of the illegally sacked Local Government Chairmen.
The declaration by the Governor that he was not going to pay the judgment sum to the Chairmen until they exhaust the Supreme court is not only petty, it is sad and unfortunate.
The last time I checked, it is Governor Makinde who is Appealing to the Supreme court for the second time, hoping the Supreme court will overrule Itself for his ego!
So, who is exhausting the supreme court here?
What Oyo state had lost and will still lose because of Governor Makinde’s indescretion can not be quantified.
Governor Makinde, due to his ego and indescretion have succeeded in foisting a situation where Oyo state will pay for two sets of Local Government officials for a particular period.
The ones he illegally sacked and the ones he selected.
Two, the costs of litigations is definitely on Oyo state.
One would have expected the Governor to toe the path of honor by paying up the judgment debts he uncured due to his indescretion.
In fact, he does owe Oyo state an apology for the reckless and unguarded decision that resulted in the avoidable waste of resources.
Unfortunately, the Governor is still grandstanding, making reckless and unguarded statements.
Oyo state under Makinde is heavily indebted.
It is unfortunate that the Governor is gleefully increasing the debts profile of the state when he’s supposed to be working on how to sort out the existing debts.
As we speak, Local Governments in Oyo state are comatose.
Workers in the Local Governments no longer go to the offices because of zero activities.
Governor Makinde surely have a lot of stench to clean in the new year 2024.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
