There will be a serious issue with local Farmers in Oyo state very soon but I will come to that later.
I was guest on some local Radio stations in Ibadan recently and the experience is revealing and thought provoking.
I had the privilege of featuring on another station today to discuss issues bothering on the State of the Nation.
We discussed issues and problems facing our Nation and the responsibilities of Governments at all levels with a view to also suggesting solutions.
I must credit the press, most especially, on Air personalities within Ibadan for the fresh zeal to ensure that our societies are made worth living and the professionalism and courage demonstrated by them across Radio stations these days.
The new zeal to interrogate and hold those in positions of Authority responsible for their actions and inactions is very encouraging.
This is not to say that there are not a few who have been irrevocably committed to the bread and butter Journalism but they are diminishing by the day.
Having said that, from my engagements with the broadcast Media practitioners recently, I discovered that while there have been concerted efforts to kill the scourge of corruption, fiscal responsibilities and lack of transparency in governance, most especially, in Oyo state, the scourge has been merely torched but not killed.
There is no doubts that the biggest challenge before an average Nigerian today is how to put food on the table.
The problem of hunger is equally persistent and severe in Oyo state.
The Federal Government has taken some steps to ensure that succor is provided and part of the steps taken by the Federal Government is to increase monthly Allocations for the States and Local Governments.
Do not get me wrong. The Federal Government still needs to do more than it is currently doing.
Federal Government recently facilitated the access to some Loans for the States as another way of ameliorate the sufferings of the Nigerian masses.
Unfortunately, in Oyo state, Governor Makinde has consistently keep passing the buck and shifting all blames on the Federal Government for the woes of the citizens.
I had taken time to discuss these issues severally in the past but I am constrained to revisit some of them because of the persistent lies and half-truths being peddled by some official and unofficial defenders of the Oyo state Governor.
I am particularly moved by the persistence of two or three callers on a program I attended today.
Misinformation and misrepresentation of facts are dangerous tools of deceits.
There is this ridiculous misinformation about the supposed fear of employees under SUBEB that the Local Governments Financial Autonomy will automatically result in a situation where primary school teachers will be owed their monthly salaries by the Local Government Chairmen.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The pertinent question those who have been hoodwinked by the Governor’s unfounded alarm should ask him is why is it that only him, out of the 36 states Governors in Nigeria have this fear?
What is peculiar about Oyo state that should single the state out for such unnecessary fears?
That at some point, there would be zero Allocations to the Local Governments thereby occassioning the defaults of salaries payments?
Local Governments don’t just get to an automatic level of receiving zero Allocations.
Something must be responsible for it like the failures to fulfill a Loan repayment obligation.
If nobody has committed the Local Governments to a Loan arrangements, what is there to fear about?
We live in a clime where people just say things knowing fully well that no one will require them to prove.
I am however prepared to believe Governor Seyi Makinde and ofcourse, I will volunteer to lead an advocacy in support of his position against the judgment of the Supreme Court if he could do certain things.
First, he must come clean, in black and white, with valid documents to show us how much he has collected on behalf of the 33 Local Governments since May, 2019 to date as monthly Allocations.
He must also show the citizens of Oyo state how much the 33 Local Governments raised in terms of IGR since 2019 to date.
That is not the end of the matter. Governor Makinde must show us, with valid documents, how much he has collected as Value Added Tax payments, (VAT), on behalf of the 33 Local Governments from 2019 to date.
As a former Supervisor for Works in my Local Government, I am aware that the VAT Account is distinct from the monthly Allocations Account for each of the Local Governments.
Having done this, the Governor must oblige the people of Oyo state the monthly wage bills of the Local Governments and the primary school teachers emoluments.
With this, a simple substraction will settle the doubts.
If the genuine records support the fears of the Governor, he is worthy of being understood.
I am cork sure that if this information is provided, there could only be one result.
The 33 Local Governments are solvent and are more than capable of paying salaries, pensions and other allowances for the NULGE and teachers conveniently.
Not only that, there would still be more than enough for the Local Governments to embark on tangible projects.
That is my view and a strong one at that and I’m waiting for Governor Makinde to pick the gauntlet.
There is also this wicked misconceptions about the Federal Government preventing Governors from buying ammunition for the Amotekun Corp.
The issue here is, what manner of ammunition are we talking about?
I heard some uninformed young fellows talked about AK 47 as if the particular brand is some toys which could be handled by every Dick, Tom and Harry.
We are too petty in this clime.
We all know that the Amotekun Corp is a child of necessity, hurriedly put together by the South West Governors under the leadership of late Governor Akeredolu of Ondo state as a response to the incessant attacks by Fulani herdsmen in the South Western states during the presidency of former president Mohammadu Buhari.
I do not think some of us remember that there was no concrete training for members of the Corp before they commenced operation.
It is also common knowledge that the Corp have not been attending any special training that will afford them the professionalism to handle sensitive ammunition like the AK 47.
We had instances of members of this Corp involving in some kind of extra judicial killings in one or two local Governments in Oyo state.
At a point and I don’t think anything has changed. Governor Makinde provided just a single pump action gun per Local Government to the Corp.
Who is stopping Government from arming the Corp with pump action machine guns?
When Auxiliary was arrested and paraded with the ammunition allegedly found in his house, I was tempted to conclude that perhaps, the former Governor Seyi Makinde’s ally has more ammunition in his possession than the whole Amotekun Command in Oyo state.
Those Who wish to accuse the Federal Government of preventing state Governors from arming the Amotekun Corp should do a research on how the former Governor of Benue state armed his own version of the security outfit during the same time and they will see that no one stopped Governor Makinde from providing at least pump action machine guns for the Amotekun Corp.
Some even opined and ridiculously so, that the Federal Government is not allowing Governor Makinde to spend his security votes on arming the Amotekun Corp!
I must come to the main topic of this piece.
For those who think that the decision by Governor Makinde to ensure that foreigners take over the Farm Settlements in Oyo state has abated, they should be expecting a shocker.
Most especially, my people in Eruwa.
I am aware that local farmers who approached the Government of Oyo state for Land to farm were told that there are no more spaces left!
I was reliably informed that some investors are coming from a South African Country to take over whatever is left of the Farm Settlements.
It is now obvious that since the Cow of the Local Governments will yield milk no more, what is left is the Farm Settlements.
The most unfortunate aspect of this ugly development is the fact that local farmers, bonafide citizens of the state, tax payers will be removed from where they earn their livelihood and contribute to food production in favor of foreigners who will till our land and export products for sale or sell to citizens at whatever prices that suit them.
I am very particular about Eruwa.
I am curious as to what will become of the Eruwa Water Works and the thousands of Farmers who are constantly being lied to that all will be well.
I am looking, with one side of my eyes at the Agbowo shopping complex and the disaster it has become, wondering whether the Eruwa Farm Settlement will suffer same fate.
Sadly, no one is even asking questions about the manner of agreement the Governor is entering into with this foreigners.
Is it another fifty years misadventures ? You could not help but to be afraid when you look at the unfortunate situation unfolding about the seizure of Nigeria’s presidential Jets in France?
That misadventure started as a result of a deal between the former Ogun state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and some Chinese Investors.
Today, Amosun is no longer the Governor of Ogun state but his deeds or misdeeds is not only haunting Ogun state, it has become a terrible embarrassment to Nigeria.
I am mortally afraid for Oyo state.
By the time Governor Makinde finishes with the state, only God Almighty knows what will remain of the Pacesetter state.
I hope and pray fervently that we won’t have an author who will see the need to write about how ” THERE WAS A PACESETTER STATE”.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
