Like the man whose palm kernel were cracked by benevolent spirits, the Governor of Oyo state has made a powerful statement about his strategies and his abilities to win at all times regardless of the opponents and the Team mates.
In a News Letter I came across, the Governor dropped a riddle about how he engaged his children and their friends in a game of pickleball.
He took time to describe how the game is played and how he switched sides thrice in the three sets played but ended up winning on whichever side he played.
He went on to create a nexus between the strategies needed to win in a game of pickleball and good governance.
He talked about his decision to connect all the five zones in Oyo state with major road projects before addressing feeder roads during his first term.
He claimed that the decision was heavily criticised because, according to him, it was unusual and more painful than what previous Administrations had done but that he made the decision because of the anticipated future growth of the economy of Oyo state and that it is paying off.
On this, I will like to quickly point out that Governor Makinde was economical with the truth.
I am not aware of anyone who criticized him or his Government because he decided to rehabilitate the link roads across the zones of Oyo state.
In the first instance, the use of the word “connect” is improper and deliberately misleading.
A stranger, when reading Governor Makinde’s News Letter may be forced to believe that Governor Makinde it was, who made the connecting roads in the first place.
To his credit, he made a road between Iseyin and Ogbomoso that successfully connected some parts of Oke Ogun with Ogbomoso and provided alternatives for those going to Ogbomoso or Ilorin from Ibadan and who may wish to avoid the old road that passed through Oyo to Ogbomoso. If he used the word ” connect” in respect of that road, no one can dispute his claims.
The Moniya/Iseyin Road has been there for ages. It was in a bad shape and required rehabilitation.
Good enough, the late Governor Ajimobi had awarded the contract for its rehabilitation and the contractor was on site by the time Governor Makinde took over from Ajimobi.
Governor Seyi Makinde, for reasons best known to him, terminated the contract awarded by Ajimobi on the Moniya/ Iseyin Road and re-awarded the same project to another contractor at a far higher price.
He did the same with a lot of Road projects which Ajimobi had already awarded.
If he was criticised, it was because of his decision to re-award the said road for a higher price and the fact that the said road was narrow after completion.
I also remember that he was criticised when a portion of the road was swept by erosion within months of completion.
I will also like to say that Governor Makinde was insincere when he said that he has, I will choose rehabilitated, not connected, the roads connecting the zones of Oyo state.
Where is the road linking Ibarapa with Ibadan?
Do we have another route to Ibadan other than the Ido/ Eruwa road?
Or is it that the Governor expects the people of Ibarapa to go through Iseyin to link Moniya so that they could see the spectacles of his wonder road connecting Iseyin to Moniya?
The Ido/Eruwa road is the only road that directly links the whole of Ibarapa Land with Ibadan and it has remained an eyesore since Governor Makinde became Governor in 2019 till today.
It is now obvious that the people of Ibarapa doesn’t exist in the Governor’s consciousness. If they do, he will excuse Ibarapa from his list of zones effectively ” connected” with other zones.
He did award the rehabilitation of the said road out for political expedience almost two years ago but the two contractors handling the rehabilitation are yet to complete 2 kilometers.
I will return to his News Letter.
Governor Seyi Makinde talked about how he is collaborating and partnering with private sector investors to pursue sustainable development.
He talked about keeping his promises with one Psaltry International at Iseyin with an ongoing feeder road construction as a means of supporting businesses within and outside Ibadan.
The above statement by the Governor is to say the least unfortunate.
Due to Governor Makinde’s plundering of the Local Governments funds, almost, if not all the feeder roads which fell under the Local Governments have become impassable and death traps.
Governor Makinde would have won my applause if his dedication in this regard is tilted towards the citizens of Oyo state who elected him and on whose behalf he has been receiving the funds he is committing to the developments of personal enterprises owned majorly by unknown foreign entities.
If the Governor had done the needful by releasing Local Governments monthly Allocations appropriately, almost all the feeder roads within the state would have been taken care of.
The link roads to our farms and villages have become death traps.
In Ibadan, the state capital, citizens are crying out every day on Radio, complaining about the terrible state of the access roads.
Even if you tar all the major roads in our cities with gold and the access roads are impassable, one would still be considered a failure after all, no one expects road users to carry their vehicles on their heads to access the major roads.
I must also say that Governor Makinde should stop reminding us about how he is using Oyo state resources to cater for foreigners without any positive results.
He has expended so much on road networking around Fashola.
What has it brought to the table. His counterparts in Ogun, Lagos, Nassarawa and Niger states are busy empowering local farmers and we are seeing concrete results.
No one is mesmerized by Governor Makinde’s incessant dictions and grammar.
You keep talking of developments. Where are the developments when people are hungry?
Unlike Governor Makinde, the Governors of Ogun, Lagos and even Osun states have since committed themselves to thinking outside the box to ensure that their citizens are taken care of regardless of what the Federal Government does or fails to do.
While Governor Makinde is enjoying himself with his children abroad like Emperor Nero, citizens of Oyo state are going about, belly whistling as a result of acute hunger.
How I wish every citizens of Oyo state has the luxury to engage in Ayo games with their children with their bellies full.
Governor Makinde talked about collaboration and Team play. Sweet words.
With whom is he collaborating in his Government to run the state? As if we don’t know how things run within his Government.
There is a Governor and there is a governor. No one is fooled.
It is well and good to hear that the Governor is away on holidays and he ” transmitted power” to his Deputy.
Transmitted indeed. Yesterday, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa state commenced the payments of the agreed N70,000 minimum wage.
Can Oga ” Acting Governor” sanction the commencement of such payment or even dare to open talks with the Labour in the absence of the Emperor? What exactly can he do on his own as Acting Governor?
The Emperor is on holidays and so also is governance. So as the Governor enjoyed the game of pickleball with his children, we are not unaware that valuable time that ought to be committed to good governance was being wasted.
The last paragraph of the News Letter is where Governor Makinde dropped his riddle.
I will like to quote him for emphasis. He said and I quote ” before I go, I said earlier that the result of the pickleball games that we played made me smile. So if you are wondering why…we played three sets and I moved to a new team for each set. My team won each time. This in itself is a lesson which I will leave you to figure out”.
The above statement is loaded with meanings.
However, I will like to tell the Governor that whatever he is cooking, the terrain has completely changed.
He was able to win in the three sets of pickleball games because of the opponents and the Team mates.
He would not treat his Team mates comprising of his children and their friends the same way he treated his political allies and neither will he treat his opponents in the pickleball games the same way he treated his political opponents and vise versa.
During the games, I am sure he was courteous, honest, kind, understanding and tender towards those kids.
Does he exhibit same character traits with his political opponents and Team mates both in government and in the field of politics?
I also leave Governor Seyi Makinde to figure out this one.
If the Governor thinks he still has the aces up his sleeves after littering the political field with wounded, hungry, bitter and betrayed former allies, the field is open.
I can however assure him that regardless of the Team he chose to play the political game with this time around, he will have more questions than answers.
He will be made to answer for his betrayals of the trusts of those he had partnered with in the past and I’m sure the list is endless.
He will be made to answer in clear terms, not with semantics or grammar, what he has done with the monthly Allocations for the 33 Local Governments since 2019.
He will be confronted with the questions about the debts profile of the state.
He will have Auxiliary to contend with because, merely keeping him in the cell won’t atone for the atrocities he committed while they were together.
He will answer for Agbowo shopping complex, the Government Lands he has sold, the sales and or conversion of the Farm Settlements, the terrible state of our Education sector, and the Light Up Oyo misadventures amongst many other issues.
Most importantly, he will have to deal with the enemies within his political party and those he will yet make enemies of through the choices of party candidates.
It is not easy to combine the roles of Governor and defacto Leadership of the Party and Governor Makinde will soon learn that each steps of the way as an outgoing Governor, you are needed the less by politicians.
I am not unaware of the comics of his presidential ambition which he hasn’t denied.
I am certain that Governor Makinde knows his bounds.
However, if the effigy insists on having a bath in the river, who am I to stop it?
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
