Finally, the Government of Oyo state has decided to unmask and come out to make an official statement about the condemnations that trailed the Governor’s anger against the judgment of the Supreme court which granted financial Autonomy to Local Governments in Nigeria.
It gladdens the heart that we now know who we are dealing with and we will be afforded the opportunity to hold them to every blunders contained in their statements.
It’s been a frustrating experience dealing with them through dark channels of the Gbenga Akannis and Agbeke Adegokes.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, I think he is a Pastor, wrote a piece where he attempted to do what Yorubas call ” fi toro le Kobo loju”. I do not know how to vividly translate that except to call it mischief.
In the piece, titled, ” Makinde as it was in the days of Covid 19″, Olanrewaju attempted to use some reactions of certain individuals to justify Governor Makinde’s rants against the judgment of the Apex Court .
According to Olanrewaju, the statements and reactions of the said individuals is a proof that, just like the days of Covid 19, when Governor Makinde decided not to lock down the state as directed by the Federal Government, his position on the judgment of the Supreme court is equally justified.
The plotting of the piece is fantastic, I must admit and the CPS is very clever in his illustrations.
Unfortunately, no matter how well crafted a lie is, deep thinking individuals will always see through the veils of deceits.
The piece is a brilliant attempt to stand logic on its head and a lot of those who could not reason deeply will clap for the CPS.
Now, let us ask ourselves why Governor Makinde deserves condemnations rather than praise for the reckless decision to open Oyo state to all comers during Covid 19.
Governor Makinde and ofcourse his Media Aides have repeatedly considered his act of leaving the doors of Oyo state open during Covid 19 as an act of bravery and ingenuity.
The CPS made heavy weather of how the Governor considered the economy of the state vis-a-vis the plights of farmers who would have missed a whole planting season if the state were to be locked down.
Now let us ask Governor Makinde how he arrived at the conclusion that his choice of not locking down the state was the best thing to do.
What Data is he relying upon to reach that conclusion?
There is no doubt that Nigeria was lucky to be a country where the weather helped in reducing the impact of Covid 19.
Covid, it has been agreed, is less lethal in hot regions and Nigeria is a hot region thus maintaining some advantage over the spread of the deadly disease.
Now, I will like Governor Makinde to respond to this. Niger state, Nassarawa state and ofcourse, the whole of the states in Northern Nigeria complied with the lockdown. Why are prices of food crops considerably cheaper in those states compared to Oyo state that refused to comply with the lockdown?
Farmers in those states, according to Governor Makinde’s analysis were supposed to have missed a whole farming season. Yet, they are more buoyant in food production than Oyo state which should have the advantage of a whole farming season!
I have said this before and I will repeat it. Governor Makinde’s refusal to accept the directives of the Federal Government is the main reason our state is in crisis of traffic and environmental mess.
Okadar riders, beggars and all sorts of nuisance who were ejected from neighbouring states fled to Oyo state during the lockdown and have since constituted a menace on our streets.
The refusal of Governor Makinde to adhere to the directives of the Federal Government is not something to brag about.
Since that decision by the Governor, the state has been taken over by all manner of foreigners, people from a particular section of the country and beggars and the nuisance they keep constituting in our streets is unbearable.
Sadly, the Governor doesn’t care about the chaotic situations in our streets just because, he once hawked bread on the streets!
Most of us also hawked one thing or the other while growing up.
That doesn’t say we should lose our sense of responsibility when we see things going wrong.
The only beneficiary of Governor Makinde’s decision to open up Oyo state to all manner of criminal minded people and beggars is the Government.
At least, the IGR of the state must have increased through the tickets being sold out to those okadar riders whose numbers considerably increased as a result of that condemnable action.
Unfortunately, residents of the state are the ones suffering from the chaotic situations that followed the action of the Governor.
Let me now deal with the judgment of the Supreme court and what Olanrewaju had to say about it.
According to him, because Wale Edun talked about the modalities for implementation, then, that is a pointer to the fact that Governor Makinde is right in the manner he reacted to the judgment.
That, with due respect, is a figment of Mr. Olanrewaju’s imagination.
Wale Edun must concern himself with the modalities for implementation because his Ministry has a responsibility to discharge in the process of compliance.
The Nigerian Senate is working on certain Bills in respect of the Independence of Local Governments.
Local Governments would definitely be required to work on the Bank Accounts with which the Allocations would be received.
Paper works are expected to be done for a smooth take off.
It is public knowledge that a period of three months has been set for the commencement of the process.
If Wale Edun is taking about modalities and removing impediments, his concerns are genuine and in line.
That is not to misconstrue his position as if he was against the judgment.
Wale Edun, as the Finance Minister for the Federation is a member of the Federal Executive Council.
The decision to take the matter to the Supreme court must have been discussed and concluded at that level.
How could Wale Edun be seen to be in support of the position by Governor Makinde?
Governor Makinde’s position regarding the freedom of Local Governments is not hidden.
He declared severally that he doesn’t believe in it and that he would not sign for it.
The short cut by the Federal Government administered a shock to him and some other Governors whose signatures are no longer needed.
The present position that suggests that Governor Makinde doesn’t have problems with the freedom of the Local Governments is an afterthoughts.
I see that Olanrewaju did import some of the reasoning contained in the write up by Agbeke Adegoke.
He also talked about the infallibility of the Supreme court justices and I will not repeat my observations regarding that, having dealt with it in my reply to Adegoke.
I must however add that instead of making a fuss about the fallibilities of the Supreme court justices, the state Government should just go back to ventilate their grievances.
The fallibilities of the Justices of the Supreme court are not decided on the pages of Newspapers.
I must also say that the postulations that Governor Makinde is fighting for the interest of Oyo state is misplaced.
Governor Makinde convoked a stakeholders meeting after the Supreme court ruled against him and other Governors.
Why didn’t he think of convoking the stakeholders forum before he opposed financial Autonomy for the Local Governments?
If he had done so, he would have seen that the majority of the citizens of Oyo state are in support of the financial Autonomy granted to the Local Governments and perhaps, we would have been saved this brouhaha.
No one will believe that the Governor is fighting for the people of Oyo state except he comes clean to tell us what he had been doing with the Allocations collected by the Local Governments in the past five years plus.
No one will believe him except he comes clean on the allegations that he has used the Allocations of the Local Governments as collateral for loans.
How could the Governor undertake to fight an unnecessary battle on behalf of the people of Oyo state?
If the Nigeria Union of Teachers have issues with clarifications and wish that their salaries should be in the first line charge, they are genuine concerns which they have taken to appreciate quarters.
No one should mistake such concerns for an opposition to the status quo brought about by the judgment of the Apex Court.
I must conclude this piece by saying that Governor Makinde’s reaction to the judgment of the Supreme court was premature and it betrayed his anger and fears.
By the time he was seeing a lacuna in the judgment, both himself and the Oyo state Attorney general admitted to not having seen a copy of the CTC of the said Judgment so what were they reacting to at that point? Hearsays?
By the time they were convoking a ” stakeholders” meeting, they haven’t seen the CTC of the judgment.
Why the rush? Why the panic?
It is an open truth that most, if not all Governors in Nigeria prefer a slavish Local Government system.
Unfortunately, it seems that the time for the third tier of Government to breathe has come.
Governor Makinde and his colleagues should embrace this new reality and move on.
I want to ask Mr. Olanrewaju to tell the Governor to be calming down o.
” Ko si ohun to ndun ti kii tan”. It does look like the time for the Governor to be combining his responsibilities as Governor with that of the Local Government Chairmen have come and may this time last forever.
The people of Oyo state appreciates the Governor for putting up a good fight so far but it is time to ” Jogunomi”.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
