When Governor Makinde exits office in 2027, some citizens of Oyo state who have fallen for the Governor’s mischievous strategies would be in for a big shock.
Hate him or like him, Governor Makinde is a master in the game of manipulations of the psyche and emotions of the unsuspecting members of the public.
He has completely alienated some people to his line of thinking.
To this set of people, the Governor is always right, even if the roads to their houses are impassable and the schools their children attends do not have roofs.
If you’re a student of psychology and History, you must definitely be familiar with the Stockholm Syndrome.
As far as Oyo state is concerned, Governor Seyi Makinde has successfully inflicted a percentage of the population with the Stockholm Syndrome.
What is Stockholm Syndrome?
The syndrome has been described as an affliction that makes hostages sometimes develop a psychological bond with, identify with or sympathize with their captors as well as with their agenda.
Why am I coming up with this theory?
I have carefully studied Governor Seyi Makinde, his Politics, his personality and his policies.
I am surprised that up till now, some people are still irredeemably committed to seeing the Governor as truly a friend of the masses!
The way you see them jump into the defence of the Governor, regardless of the facts that they have no superior arguments to counter your claims.
I encountered a few of them yesterday during a live Radio program.
Should I be that surprised? I think not.
It has been said by a late former American President that you can deceive all the people sometimes. You can deceive some people all the time but you can’t deceive all the people all the time.
So, nothing new is happening here.
I saw a report yesterday. The report catalogue states owing highest pension and gratuity as at 2023 and to my surprise, Oyo state is sitting at number two behind Benue state!
Oyo is said to be owing as much as 40.05 billion Naira.
When I saw the report, I started asking myself if it could be true.
I thought Governor Makinde is renown for his love for the workers and pensioners in Oyo state?
I thought Oyo state Government said they have cleared the backlog of pension and gratuity arrears inherited from Ajimobi?
Could this really true, that Oyo state still owe as much as # 40.05 billion as at 2023?
I won’t be surprised if it is and I know what the spokespersons of the Governor would say to defend this terrible circumstance.
It won’t be difficult for them to come out and tell the public that they inherited a backlog of unpaid pensions and gratuity from Ajimobi without being specific about how much was inherited and fortunately for them, those affected would be quiet just as primary and secondary schools Head Teachers and Principals are always quiet when the Government lies about ” free Education”.
As we speak, only Government and the secondary schools principals know the exact number of months Governor Makinde is owing as monthly running costs for the public secondary schools in Oyo state.
Fortunately for the Governor, those affected would not talk and when you point it out, those afflicted with the dangerous syndrome would call for your head.
All they have been programmed to keep saying is, ” we are receiving our salaries on the 25th of every month”!
When the Government of former president Mohammadu Buhari adjusted the minimum wage to #40,000, only levels 1-6 in Oyo state are actually receiving the minimum wage as it ought to be.
Workers in Grade levels 7 and above only received consequential adjustments of salaries and I think a paltry sum of #5,200 was added to their salaries. Yet, they would not say anything when the Governor goes about telling the public that he was fully paying the #40,000 minimum wage.
Do not blame anyone. The Stockholm Syndrome is a very terrible psychological situation.
It is important at this point, even though, I know that the Governor would not comply but for the records, Governor Makinde should come clean to tell the public exactly how much he inherited as pensions and gratuity arrears from the Ajimobi Government.
He should also tell the public, in plain terms the assets and liabilities inherited from the late Ajimobi Government.
How much was Ajimobi owing Local Government pensioners, state civil service and Teachers?
I am very particular about the Local Government pensioners.
I see no reason why pensioners from the Local Government should be owed a dime, considering the increased monthly Allocations.
As members of the public, we also have to accept blames. Most especially, the Press.
We all allowed Governor Makinde to equate the payments of workers salaries as a development to celebrate and a yardstick to measure good governance.
It is so sad.
Do not get me wrong. Everyone who works for the Government should collect their salaries as and at when due but that should not become a big deal.
The last Census was taken during the days late Alao Akala was Governor of Oyo state.
Oyo state’s population was put at over 5 million.
With due respect, the civil servants in the state do not constitute five percent of that number.
How come the Press assisted Governor Makinde to pin the campaigns around the payments of salaries and pensions which affects less than five percent of the population?
There has been so much talk about how the economy of the state is centered on the monthly salaries of the civil servants.
Unfortunately, Government has not shown the statistics to back the claims up and no one cared to ask.
Late Kolapo Ishola did not owe workers. Lam Adesina did not. Ladoja was described as a worker friendly Governor. Akala, apart from the fact that he did not owe workers, was reputed to have adjusted pensions upward.
The issue of salaries and pensions came up during the second term of Ajimobi and I was told by a civil servant that by the time he left, he was owing nothing as salary arrears. I don’t have facts about pensions.
Now, we have stooped so low to a situation where payment of the salaries of about five percent of us is considered a great achievement!
While we allowed ourselves to be distracted by the noise around payment of salaries and pensions, the Governor became so untouchable and was wrecking havocs with the funds meant for the development of the 33 Local Governments.
Our Education and Health sector began to decline.
The Governor kept piling up debts upon debts and went to the extent of committing the 33 Local Governments to debts despite the fact that there is zero developments at the Local Governments.
Billions of Naira were wasted on projects like the Light Up Oyo and building of Garages.
The Governor went on, converting every available public spaces into Housing Estates and GRAs, appointing his cronies as infrastructure partners and Estate Managers in dubious circumstances.
Now, the GSM wishes to transform to the PSM just because he paid salaries and pensions as Governor of Oyo state!
The unfortunate thing is that, by the time Governor Makinde leaves office, he would also leave behind him billions of Naira as arrears of unpaid pensions, gratuity and allowances.
It has always been like that and nothing would change it.
I am aware that presently, the Governor is owing months of workers monthly deductions to the tune of billions of Naira.
Let me quickly puncture the expected excitement of the Governor’s spokespersons.
There was a time I wrote something almost similar to this about the Governor and his spokespersons quickly jumped at it and twisted the facts to mean that I was in shock that the people of Oyo state loved the Governor beyond my comprehension.
The fact that the Governor has cleverly worked on the psyche of a few individuals does not translate to the fact that he is widely accepted.
The trajectory of Governor Makinde’s sojourn in politics does not also support this facts.
Governor Seyi Makinde has never won an election on his own and I will give facts to support the claim.
His election as Governor in 2019 was made possible by an alliance put together by former Governor Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja and no one can argue that.
His second term election as Governor was made possible by the APC and the Governor has publicly agreed to that fact also and facts already admitted needs no proof.
Governor Seyi Makinde had the opportunity to test his popularity during the last Local Government Election but he chickened out, definitely scared of the threats of the opposition APC.
Again, another opportunity presented itself during the rerun election at Saki and Governor Makinde and his PDP were defeated by the opposition APC.
So, where is Makinde’s invincibility?
It was hilarious watching the Governor as he lost it during the burial of the late former Secretary to the Oyo state Government, Chief Koleosho.
The Governor seized the opportunity of the Pulpit given to him that day to pour scorn on the people of Saki and threatened to stop the Road his Government is rehabilitating between Saki and Igboho.
It must have hurt so much.
As for the presidential ambition of the GSM, I have said that it is the time for the boys.
It will come to the time when the boys would be separated from the men.
I must however warn that the Governor would have his record of failures to contend with whenever he decides to come clean about his ambition.
SOLA ABEGUNDE
