I stumbled on a Facebook post by one of the appointees of the Speaker of the Oyo state House of Assembly this morning.
The Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, was in Eruwa over the weekend to attend the Children Harvest celebration of the First Baptist Church, Anko, Eruwa.
His late father, Adeseun Ogundoyin was a member of the same Church.
In short, you could consider the First Baptist Church, Anko, Eruwa as the family Church of the Ogundoyins.
When I read the post and I saw the pictures attached there to, a lot of questions rushed to my mind.
I immediately recollect one of the ways the Elders in our Community used to resolve conflicts in those days.
There are some issues that doesn’t require rocket science or cracking of brains to resolve.
Such issues, immediately you listen to the conflicting sides, you will easily identify the guilty party.
When the Elders had such issues to resolve, immediately the conflicting sides presented their sides of the story, the Elders would turn to the side with the patently bad case and asked them to pass judgment based on the evidence presented.
On many occasions, those confronted with the difficult scenario would either become dumb, staring at the floor or asked the Elders to help them beg the other side.
Our Elders adopted such style believing that those with poor character always know they are bad, they just want to make others say it so that they will say it is ” lagbaja” ( not the musician), who said they are bad. ” Eni buru mo, eni ti o so fun lo nwa).
After the guilty sides have been made to accept their guilt, passed by themselves, the Elders would proceed to make peace but they won’t forget to say this proverb always, ” bi ejo o dun, elejo laa pe ko daa”. ( It is the one who has a bad case who should first be asked to determine his case).
I deliberately decided to provide the above analogies before asking the Speaker how he felt, traveling on the Road between Ido and Eruwa.
I am not unaware of the fact that he enjoyed the luxury of riding on brand new SUVs which made his ride easier, compared to the thousands of commuters who ply the Road daily, riding on Tokunbo and second hand vehicles.
However, I am also aware that the luxury of his cars can not prevent him from seeing the ugly sights and the terrible state of the Road.
I saw in the Facebook post that he went to Eruwa to attend the Children Harvest at his traditional Church.
It is not that he is in the habits of going to Eruwa every weekend.
I also wish to ask him if he took his time to see what the Eruwa New Garage/ Poly/ Oke Ola Road which has been contracted to his younger brother for years has become?
There was practically nothing wrong with that Road until his younger brother went, digging holes all over the places.
That Road is almost impassable as we speak.
The only Road leading to his father’s house from the new garage is now also threatened.
I do not need to ask if he saw the state of the Alayande junction/ Isaba Road also contracted to the same younger brother of his.
At least, I expect him to take a branch at his residence and he must have seen a little of the damage they have inflicted on the Town.
I do not think he would have the time or see the necessity to check on the damage he and his younger brother has also inflicted on the Lanlate Campus of the Oyo state College of Education.
The contract was also given to his younger brother.
Haba! If a man chooses to roll in the grass, he should at least feel itchy even if he wouldn’t be ashamed . (” Okunrin woo ninu esu, boju o ba tii, o sa ye ki ara o jaa”).
I have been wondering if the young man has ever thought about a concrete legacy he plans to bequeath.
Thankfully, we once had a Speaker who was from Eruwa.
Chief Davidson Mokolade Gbolagunte, to his credit and the Glory of Almighty God, fought for and brought the Polytechnic to Eruwa.
The said Polytechnic is the same one named Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic today.
When he became Speaker in 2019, Governor Seyi Makinde promised to upgrade the Eruwa Farm Settlement.
Today, some of us are battling the Governor about his intention to sell that Farm Settlement.
I didn’t hear the Speaker say anything about that unfortunate circumstance.
Anyway, I am sure he lacks information about the importance of that Settlement.
Today also, the situation of the Eruwa Cashew plantation is also shrouded in mysteries.
There are reports that the Seyi Makinde Government has sold the said Cashew plantation and the Speaker of the Oyo state House of Assembly is from Eruwa!
What exactly does the Speaker discuss with the Governor any time they were together?
Does he have the time to discuss the development of the Community at all?
How on earth could anyone be proud of being the number three citizen of a state for about six years and the only road that connects his Constituency to the state capital is looking like the Ido/Eruwa Road?
If that is not failure, then, what is?
Yes, our people, out of indescretions and parochial sentiments decided to reinforce failures in 2023 but shouldn’t the one who benefited from the indescretions take a pause and set himself to correcting the mistakes that were pointed out to him during the campaigns?
I just kept wondering whoever is it that is telling the Speaker that all is well.
Oh! Perhaps he thought 2023 will be repeated.
He will require someone to translate and break this down for him.
” Ile Eruwa kii yo eeyan nigba ojo”. ( You do not slip on the terrains of Eruwa while the rain is falling).
The above statement is loaded.
The Roads in the towns of Ibarapa East are bad. The roads to the farms and villages are in terrible shapes.
The only Road to Ibadan is an eyesore.
The Local Government is in commatose and you say you’re a Speaker. Please, what are you speaking? Who are you speaking for? If you can’t effectively speak for your Constituency, exactly, what are you speaking about Oyo state?
Let me quickly add here before lickspittles and ” abobakus” come at us with the theories of ” he wants them to take the speaker from Ibarapa”, ” he is being bankrolled by some politicians”.
Those kites won’t fly with me. I am not a member of the Oyo state House of Assembly and neither am I a member of the PDP.
I am a citizen of Oyo state, from Eruwa in Ibarapa East Local Government and I am entitled to good representation from the member representing my Constituency in the Oyo state House of Assembly.
That member, happens to be Adebo Ogundoyin, the Speaker of the Oyo state House of Assembly. Period.
Being opportuned to serve as the Speaker of the House of Assembly shouldn’t be all about the welfare of yourself and your immediate family members alone.
You have a duty to your Constituency first and foremost and to Oyo state in general.
No one said you should not source contracts for your younger brother, even though, personally, I am against such nonsense because it is illegal but even at that, deliver on the job now!
Some of us have been restraining ourselves, pretending not to know the dirty things going on but it’s certain that desperate situations require desperate measures.
The mandate given to Adebo Ogundoyin does not extend and neither does it cover his simbling to turn our Community to a shit hole.
I must say this, even though, reluctantly so.
The Speaker was in Eruwa to attend the Children Harvest of his Church.
In the post, I saw him speak glowingly about the Preacher for the day. Good. No problems.
I must however ask if the Pastors admonished the Speaker to take his primary assignment of good representation seriously.
Religious Leaders also have a duty to speak truth to those in positions of authority.
Infrastructures in Eruwa, most especially, in terms of Roads is in a terrible state.
We have never had it this bad.
It is unfortunate that those who brought the young man and who should be telling him the truth are mostly one with him in the unfortunate scenarios unfolding before us due to selfish interests.
It was under him as Speaker that some ruffians led by Auxiliary invaded the town in 2021 to shoot down four innocent citizens.
What did the Elders do? Nothing. In fact, one was waxing lyrical blaming those who decided to contest for the Local Government Election, describing them as ” the stubborn squirrel”.
” Ori Okere koko lawo” were his exact lyrics.
Interestingly, when the community decided to reject the Speaker during the 2023 election, the same people were in the forefront, begging, lying and jumping from one place to the other to deceive the electorates.
What a shame. If the thugs had killed everyone in 2021, would there have been a Constituency for Debo to contest?
I will like to end this piece by assuring the Speaker that both himself and his younger brother contractor shall be made to account before the appropriate Anti corruption agencies soon.
That Land, Eruwa belongs to all of us. We can not all sit down and allow some crafty young men to keep taking us for a ride.
O to gee Omo Leefi.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
