Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state just acquired a Private Jet and that will make him the first ever occupier of Agodi Government House to join the League of private Jet owners in Nigeria.
Recall that the sage, Jeremiah Oyeniyi Obafemi Awolowo, the Cicero of Esa Oke, John Ajibola Ige, Otun Olubadan, High Chief Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, the Great Lam Adesina, Baba Kolapo Isola and Abiola Ajimobi have had the opportunity to occupy the office of Governor of Oyo state as democratically elected Governors before Makinde.
Just like Makinde, late former Governor Ajimobi had two terms of four years.
I do not think some of his predecessors in office, if not all, did not have the wherewithal to purchase a private Air craft, I think they simply were not caught by the fantasy of such luxury for some reasons.
It is obvious that Governor Makinde had his agenda well planned and he seems to receive help from some benevolent spirits.
Starting from the moment he “declared” a worth of 48 billion Naira in his first term, it looked like the Governor had a script he was working with.
I am sure if Governor Makinde had wanted to buy the private Jet in his first term, he had amassed so much for him to so do and comfortably so.
Makinde cleverly decided to wait until after he was re elected for a second term before purchasing the Jet, knowing fully well that doing so on his first term will surely spell electoral doom for him.
I have always maintained consistently that Governor Makinde is a skilful and artful deceiver.
He has mastered the art of deceit to a level where he has successfully alienated a lot of people to his line of thinking, even, when such thoughts are bizarre and untenable.
Perhaps, this latest act of recklessness by Governor Makinde will help unlock the minds and reasoning of some of his hipnotized admirers.
I know some of his sworn defenders will maintain that Governor Makinde is a man with enormous wealth before he became Governor and that he was rich enough to buy a private Jet.
Such a reasoning is not only myopic, it stands reason on its head.
Whether Makinde was rich enough to purchase a private Jet will always be debatable.
What could have put that to rest is for Makinde to have purchased the Jet before assumption of office.
That would have completely removed a debate on whether he had the financial capacity to purchase the Jet.
For a Governor who has presided over a state that kept increasing Its debts profile, a state where the Governor have run the Local Governments aground due to the paltry release of funds to the Councils, it will make little sense to opine that the Governor of such a state is immuned from fiscal responsibility.
When you look at the decadence in the 33 Local Governments in Oyo state, when you look at how much President Tinubu have released to Oyo state as allocation and interventions for the state and Local Governments, when you see that there is nothing to justify such homongus amount of releases, you won’t have problems arriving at how Governor Makinde would have the exess to purchase a private Jet.
It’s interesting that Governor Makinde was part of the PDP Governors who were challenging the Federal Government headed by President Tinubu, drawing the attention of the President that we are enroute Venezuela.
Unfortunately, Governor Makinde and his ilks have forgotten that leadership requires acceptance of collective responsibilities.
I am sure Venezuela was brought about by their president and irresponsible Governors.
How could a Governor, who opted to buy a private Jet while hunger and poverty is killing his citizens have the mouth to call the attention of the president to Venezuela?
Just yesterday, a 56 year old man committed suicide in the Oyo state capital as a result of frustrations brought about by poverty and hunger!
How has Makinde responded to the mini Venezuela he created in Oyo state?
How did the Governor spend the hundreds of billions he got as increased, special allocations and palliatives?
It is unfortunate that the same Makinde who was jumping on every available plane to Abuja, promising to keep going to the villa to get the dues of Oyo state is now the President’s persecutor in chief.
Isn’t life an irony?
Anyway, I do not blame Makinde for his exuberances.
Like the Yorubas would say, “ko si lowo eni to je amala ti ko san owo, eni to fi egusi se namo lo jebi”.
P
President Tinubu is the one who prepared a delicious soup of egusi, if Governor Makinde eat and forgot to wash his hands, would you blame him?
Seyi Makinde was doomed to lose the gubernatorial election last year March but Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as president elect awarded Oyo state to him as part of some arrangements.
Oyo state would have avoided this disaster but Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu prevented it.
I will like to end this piece by advising Governor Makinde to concentrate on how he will address the Venezuela he created here in Oyo state.
I congratulate him on his latest achievement of the purchase of a private Jet.
Let me however remind him that as he cruise around on his Jet, he must bear in mind that the day of reckoning is close by.
