I do not envy Pastor Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state.
He surely has a very difficult job in his hands.
I am certain that the gentleman must be struggling to hold a balance between his Spiritual calling and the job of bread and butter he is currently engaged to do for Governor Seyi Makinde.
A couple of weeks ago, he did a story where he referred to my person as Beelzebub (Satan) if you like.
This morning, I saw another piece from him where he became a bit clearer. He referred to me as a ” Masquerade”.
I love his sense of humor. Unfortunately, I must make his job more difficult for him.
Let me draw the correlation between the use of the word “Masquerade” and how it refers to me by implication.
My Surname is Abegunde. ” Egungun” in English translates to Masquerade.
I have decided to let the public see through the thinking of the Pastor by the above illustration.
Having said that. I have carefully read the piece he titled” Help For Masquerade Companion”.
I am not surprised that Olanrewaju has gone toxic.
The past few weeks, I was guest on some Radio stations in Ibadan where issues relating to governance at all levels were discussed and as usual, I made my analysis without fear or favor, just as I have always done in my write-ups.
The responses by the public must have jolted Governor Makinde and his Government, hence, the latest assault.
Those who monitored my Radio interviews will recollect that I challenged both Olanrewaju and the Oyo state Government to a public debate on the issues discussed, so as to afford the public the opportunity to see the truth.
Interestingly, Olanrewaju has not been man enough to pick the gauntlet and neither has his masters done.
I have said it and I will repeat it for emphasis sake. There is nothing that some of us are doing now that Eng. Seyi Makinde, as he then was, did not do to late Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
Makinde did not give Ajimobi a moment of respite.
He was always in the Media to challenge every of Ajimobi’s policies.
He sponsored Court cases against Ajimobi’s Government when the latter was planning to conduct Local Government Election.
We all know Governor Makinde’s position when late Governor Ajimobi came up with the idea of amending the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration Laws.
In fact, he leveraged heavily on the public outrage against the said policy to get elected in 2019.
Interestingly, he embraced the same policy as Governor.
His opposition to Government’s policies were constant, consistent and tenacious during the tenure of Ajimobi.
Sulaimon Olanrewaju must be in the services of the Nigerian Tribune at the period.
Let me now ask him if he considered Eng. Seyi Makinde a Beelzebub or a Masquerade at that time?
Or, was he of the opinion that Governor Makinde was being sponsored or looking for patronage at the time?
Oh! Eng. Seyi Makinde was a stupendously rich person, so he couldn’t have been looking for patronage or ” help” as Sulaimon would have put it.
I will lecture this gentleman Pastor.
What gave Eng. Makinde the leverage to go after late Governor Ajimobi with tenacity is the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which guarantees citizens right to freedom of speech.
Just as Eng. Makinde was covered to express himself without fear of harassment, I Abegunde, Olugbenga Olusola, the “Masquerade”is equally covered to call the Government of Governor Seyi Makinde to question as a citizen of Nigeria.
” Ma da Omi si mi lara kii de odo”. If you do not want to be splashed with water, you will not go to a public river to draw water.
If Governor Seyi Makinde is uncomfortable with criticisms, what is he searching for in a public office?
For Sulaimon, it was good for Ajimobi to take Makinde’s criticisms but not good for Makinde to be criticised?
So far Governor Makinde is still in public office, he will continue to be under scrutiny by right thinking persons and if the Governor and his spokespersons are uncomfortable with that, I recommend a bottle of cold water.
“A le tori pe enikan mo ekun sun, ka ma gbe oku koja ni iwaju ita e”. If the way to the burial ground passes in front of the house of the man who knows how to wail, we won’t because of that stop passing through the road to bury the dead.
Eng. Seyi Makinde was a tenacious opposition figure.
If he could give, he should also be able to take.
Sulaimon Olanrewaju is a Pastor and a Journalist.
I do not think he knows anything about politics and I think that is why he is behaving like a fish out of water.
Before I round up, I will want Olanrewaju to drop this trick of name calling and respond to the questions I have kept asking without getting answers from both himself and his master.
How far has Governor Makinde plunged Oyo state into debts?
What has happened to the deal with Agbowo shopping complex and what was done with the N5 billion collected as lease?
Where is our Botswana maize? Or, let me put it this way, what has Oyo state produced from its Agri-business ventures?
I have talked about how his brother Governors have been showing concrete results from Agricultural establishments, what exactly is in Agri-business for Oyo state in terms of food production?
What exactly has happened to the Eruwa Cashew plantation and the Eruwa Farm Settlement?
What is the result of the investigation sanctioned by Governor Makinde on the misdeeds of the contractor that handled the Light Up Oyo as promised by Wasiu Olatunbosun years ago?
Nobody pushed the Governor to conclude that the contractor, he himself gave the job of N28 billion to actually defaulted, thereby occassioning a review.
What is the result of the review?
How much did Governor Makinde receive on behalf of the 33 Local Governments as monthly Allocations, VAT and other funds since 2019 and how did he spend those funds?
How much was taken as Loan, with the Local Government Allocations Account as collateral and what was the said Loan used for?
If the above is not correct, could the Governor oblige the public with the details of the Allocations received and the expenditures from 2019? After all, the details are public documents.
Who obtained the N15 billion Naira Loan spent on the building of garages, the state or the Local Governments?
How is the Loan being repaid and how much has been paid back?
Why is it too much to ask why it is taking till eternity to finish the less than 55 kilometers Ido/Eruwa road rehabilitation despite the fact that two contractors have been on the road for more than a year?
Why is it too much to draw the attention of Governor Makinde to the terrible state of our roads and infrastructures in all the 33 Local Governments?
Why won’t we, as citizens be able to call the attention of the Governor to the havoc wrecked on Oyo state by Auxiliary while the latter worked closely with him?
Why won’t I be able to tell the Governor that Auxiliary led a group of thugs to terrorize my town Eruwa during the 2021 Local Government Election and in the end, four innocent lives were lost and that nothing was done to punish the culprits?
Why won’t I be able to tell the Governor that his decision to deploy consultants to our tertiary Institutions is counter productive?
Why shouldn’t I be able to tell Governor Makinde that the Pace setter state is now behind Boko Haram ravaged Borno state in the WAEC index and that we should all be ashamed?
Certainly, we will not abdicate our civic responsibilities, even if the likes of Olanrewaju will call us Osama Bin Laden.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
