Makinde’s On Tuesday, 21st day of May, 2024, the Oyo state House of Assembly gave Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state yet, another nod to increase the debts profile of Oyo state with 10 billion Naira.
While the House was giving this approval, Governor Seyi Makinde was in far away Yale university in the United States of America to celebrate the graduation ceremony of her daughter.
Do not get me twisted, Governor Makinde, no matter how you look at it, is a man blessed enough to train his children in any foreign university, Governor or not.
However, when you look at the facts that Governor Seyi Makinde have been in the saddle as Governor in Oyo state for five good years and he has not done anything visible to improve both tertiary and post tertiary Institutions in the state, then you will agree with me that he, and others in Government have a lot of moral questions to answer.
Honestly, the Governor would have done better if he had taken the celebration out of the public spaces.
That is not the focus of this piece.
Presently, the public is completely at a loss about the exact figures of the debts profile of Oyo state.
I am sure that the rubber stamp House of Assembly Itself must have lost counts.
There is a general belief that there is nothing bad in borrowing money.
I also agree with that notion.
However, what has Governor Makinde been borrowing this humongous amounts for?
The Oyo state House of Assembly that have been approving the loans, is the House performing the oversight functions placed upon It by statutes?
Is the Media tagging along to ensure that the borrowed funds are used for the purposes upon which the loans were taken?
Is the Governor giving accounts for this borrowed monies?
The answer is a capital NO.
The first act of Governor Seyi Makinde is connected with a particular over 7 billion Naira loan taken by his predecessor in office.
Governor Makinde converted this sum of money to the upgrading of some Farms settlements in Oyo state instead of the original purpose upon which late Governor Ajimobi took the loan.
I recollect that Governor Makinde mentioned Akufo, Fashola and Eruwa Farms settlements as those that would be upgraded with the funds.
Apart from Fashola where some kind of work were done, nothing tangible happened in Akufo and Eruwa is completely untouched till as we speak.
Unfortunately, no one is asking questions and because no one is asking questions, Governor Seyi Makinde have continued in a borrowing spree.
One of the sensible conditions of taking a loan is that the project upon which the loan will be expended on must be one that will have the capacity of repaying the loan.
I said this with exceptions to Loans taken to upgrade Education but even at that, the reward accriable from a perfect Education system is unquantifiable.
Governor Makinde have not been taking the loans he took to develop Education and I think that is one of the reasons he would rather take her daughter to an American university to escape the rots that he and others created at home.
Governor Makinde took a loan of about 15 billion Naira and guess what? He built some couple of garages and handed them over to Auxiliary!
Now, who is asking the Governor questions about such a very reckless action?
Imagine 15 billion Naira been thrown to the development of the Education sector in Oyo state?
I’m sure the Governors daughter won’t have to go to an American university for a degree certificate.
Now, what has happened to the loan of 15 billion Naira expended on the garages?
Whatever is derived from this garages, are they enough to repay the loan?
Governor Seyi Makinde is a very clever individual.
He knows that the only area where he would have problems is the Press and he has done his job very well on the press.
Largely, those who should be putting the Governor on the hot sit regarding his reckless Borrowings have been bought over and this is with due respect to the very few that have continued to maintain the ethics of their profession.
Who will collect gifts of a car from the Governor and will not be dumb to the Governor’s misdeeds?
Unfortunately, most of this Press men who have been induced were shouting themselves hoarse during Ajimobi’s tenure.
Don’t be surprised if they suddenly find their voices at the expiration of the tenure of Makinde, most especially, if the Successor is not a puppet installed by Governor Makinde.
I think Governor Makinde himself ought to take a pause and think about the genuine Legacies he will leave behind him.
After all, if some praise singers have been deceiving him, must he also deceive himself?
Most significantly, the experience of his role model, Nyesom Wike ought to have some meanings to him.
He is the Governor who have been selling off the properties of Oyo state, which have been preserved by his predecessors over the years.
Agbowo shopping complex is there staring everyone in the face.
The rots in the Local Government system during his tenure is unprecedented.
I hope he knows that those ” arirebanijes” who have been singing his praises on Radio will shift gears whenever circumstances demanded.
Even, the civil servants and pensioners will marvel when the dark sides are brought to light.
A word is enough for the wise.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
