This days, a verse from the song of the late Ilorin musician, Odolaye Aremu always and readily comes to mind.
I always recollect the particular verse when I see how much Governor Makinde is trying to fit into his newly but self assigned role of “defender of the masses”.
The verse goes thus, “…eni ti nde’le ekete Olohun ndedi Oun naa”. He who engages in the digging up of the hole of the rodent, Almighty God is also digging at his buttocks.
It’s hilarious, yet, loaded with meanings.
Governor Makinde have recently been digging hard at the president.
He is unsparing in his harsh and oftentimes unprovoked attacks against the president and his policies.
However, the Governor did the unthinkable yesterday, when, during the NLC nationwide Rally aimed at calling the attention of Government to the Economic hardships in the country, Governor Makinde obviously forgot the reality that Governance is a collective responsibility.
Governor Makinde, rather than addressed the Labour Unions on the steps he is taking as a Governor to ameliorate the sufferings of the people of Oyo state, on behalf of which he has collected several billions of Naira as increased Allocations, chose to abandon his own responsibilities and seized the opportunity to pour more scorn on the Federal Government.
I think at this point, it is not out of tune to let Governor Makinde know that a man who left home, searching for the person who owes his father some amount of money would definitely meet those his mother owed, if he didn’t know the proper time to desist from such perilous voyage of discovery.
Yes. Things are not as it should be in the country.
The president could not be excused from responsibilities of the hardships we presently face.
However, records have shown that if the president deserves to be rebuked for certain Government policies which have occassioned hardships, some Governors deserved more scathing rebukes for constituting themselves as clog in the wheels of the solutions that the president have so far come up with.
Since the president came to office and increase have been made in monthly Allocations to states and Local Governments, we have seen some Governors and in this regard I will mention, even though, not limited to them, the Governors of Borno, Kano, Niger, Kwara, Lagos and Ogun who have seen the problems on ground as collective responsibilities where they need to play their own parts.
What has Governor Makinde done differently since the Federal Allocations from Abuja have increased by over 2 billion Naira?
How has the increased allocations affected the status of the 33 Local Governments which Governor Makinde have turned to an annexe of the Governors office?
What happened to the 2 billion Naira Grant the same president Tinubu who he now jabs at will, released to the Governors, Oyo state inclusive?
Why is it that most of his counterparts across party lines are up and doing while he continues to engage in bulk passing?
Or, is it that the president have been giving monies to the Governors who are doing the needful and have excluded Governor Makinde?
There are three tiers of Government recognized by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, even though, Governor Makinde had publicly declared that he does not believe in the existence of the third tier, the Local Governments.
The Federal Government is only one of the three and each has responsibilities to the people.
Governor Makinde seems to have forgotten that he is one of the 36 heads of the season tier and in his own case, the General officer commanding the 33 Local Governments in the state.
I will like to challenge Governor Makinde to publicly declare how much he has received in Allocations for Oyo state and the 33 Local Governments since president Tinubu assumed office and how he has spent the said sum.
I equally challenge him to publicly declare how much he has taken as loans on behalf of Oyo state since he became Governor.
The breakdown of the loans and the attachments and how they were expended.
What is the pay back plans for such loans and the duration?
I will particularly like to know how much the Bus terminals have paid back out of the billions of Naira expended on them?
How does he intend to resolve the eyesore that the Agbowo shopping complex have become, having mortgaged such an edifice for 5 billion Naira for a period of 50 years!?
Why is it that Eruwa Farms settlement remain untouched despite the fact that over 7 billion Naira was earmarked for both Akufo and Eruwa Farm settlements?
Is it that Akufo have taken the over 7 billion Naira?
What is the status of Akufo?
Overall, how much has Governor Makinde taken as loans for his Agri-business venture?
How much have been generated?
Why have our Local Governments gone comatose?
All this are questions Governor Makinde would have to answer at some point whether he likes it or not.
If he had averted his minds to all this, I am sure he would realize that he himself have more questions than answers.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
