Former Governor of Rivers state and the present Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Nyesom Wike did treat us to a great deal of entertainment in the build up to the 2023 general election and immediately after.
Apparently mocking his Party, the PDP, on which platform he lost the Presidential ticket to former Vice president Atiku Abubakar, Wike and his entertainment Band were a sure source of laughter to many and headache to his adversaries.
I will never forget how Wike danced to the ” Pepper Dem” and the ” as he dey pain Dem” lyrics.
I used to laugh my heart out in those days.
Like Wike and his Band of humorous singers, some of us have been labelled a headache to the present Government in Oyo state, for the sole reason that we dare to have the effrontery to speak truth to power.
Unfortunately, the present Governor and others pelted late Governor Ajimobi with insults and condemnations when the latter made the famous ” constituted authority” statement.
Many times, we have been called ugly names.
We have been painted with negative brushes and our intentions have been deliberately misrepresented by Government’s spokespersons and paid Media personalities, many of them under fake identities like Gbenga Akanni and Ajoke Adegoke.
I have thought about the reasons why Governor Makinde appears to be shocked that someone out there could pick on his errors and misgovernance whenever such are noticed.
You have to give it to Governor Makinde.
He did his job well. He worked on the local Media very well, both regular and online Media.
He thought he did enough to be entitled to a complete takeover of the Media spaces.
Many journalists are on the payroll. Many are dashed exotic cars as gifts. Yet, many were awarded bogus contracts without observing due process.
Those who have the loudest microphones were captured, though, I must say that despite the shenanigans, yet, very many are still sticking to the ethics of the job but they are largely restricted because they do not own the platform where they do the job.
Governor Makinde literally enjoyed almost a complete freedom from Media scrutiny. In fact, the Media largely became a wool in the eyes of the public, shielding the Governor from scrutiny.
The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, a supposed Man of God, Pastor Sulaimon Olanrewaju, each time he managed to respond to issues, will always dance around the real questions and go full throttle on a reckless voyage of name calling and bullying and having done that, the Media boys will be mobilized to ensure that the abusive press statement trends.
Only God and themselves know the amount of public funds that got wasted on this periodic fruitless exercise.
I have kept wondering why the Governor and his Media Aides have always chosen this ineffective strategy time and time over.
One would have expected them to treat each of the questions I have been raising against the Governor and answer them to the satisfaction of the public and I bet, there would be nothing again to talk about.
I have come to a conclusion that perhaps, the questions I have raised all this while are crafted in such a manner that the Governor can not comprehend and I have resolved to simplify them.
I do not think Governor Makinde is timid about answering questions.
He is no doubt a very bold personality.
Didn’t he tell the world that he did not believe in the freedom of Local Governments even when public opinion was overwhelmingly in support of it?
Did he not publicly asked Edmond Obilo to tell him someone who was more qualified than Auxiliary as the Chairman of the Parks Management System despite the barriers of murder allegations against the fellow?
Did he not boldly go against the Senate president when the latter goofed about some funds allegedly released to the state Governors?
Did he and four of his brother Governors of the G-5 fame not shoot their party presidential candidate down in 2023?
My Governor can never be timid.
I will simplify the issues excising my thoughts and which I expect the Governor to provide answers to.
I will start with Agriculture. Prior to his election in 2019, Eng. Seyi Makinde promised to leverage on the massive availability of arable land in Oyo state to invest in Agriculture. I did not hear him talk about Farm Estates or Agri-business.
He specifically promised that Oyo state will be exporting maize to Botswana. I must say that the choice of Botswana as a market for exportation of maize from Oyo stirred something in me at the time.
The Governor was so sure of his programs that he specifically promised that within a very short time in office, Oyo will no longer depend on monthly Allocations from Abuja to sustain itself as he was sure that the monthly IGR must have been raised up to a point Oyo will run conveniently on it. We use to forget things a lot. Apparently, Governor Makinde is unable to keep that promise.
Today, Oyo state can not do without the monthly Allocations. Not only that, Oyo is terribly indebted to different Banks.
The promise not to depend on monthly Allocations has obviously become mere talk.
No worries.
When the Governor talked about exporting maize to Botswana, the reasonable inference to be drawn from such a statement is that the state will aggressively invest in the planting and exporting of maize.
When Governor Makinde announced the decision of his Government to divert the over N7 billion infrastructures Loan processed by Ajimobi on Agriculture, I thought he will get down to the business of planting maize and perhaps, cassava, since we have more than enough land to cultivate such crops.
However, the story changed and we started talking about Agri-business!
Now, let me ask in clear terms, apart from the N7 billion Naira plus, how much has the Governor committed to Agri-business so far and how is it supposed to benefit the citizens of Oyo state as against Agriculture?
What did we do with the money since Oyo state owns not even an acre of farm land anywhere?
Will Governor Seyi Makinde explain to the citizens of Oyo state the benefits in Agri-business that far outweighs what the Governors of Ogun and Lagos are doing with their Agricultural schemes? Today, both states are producing rice in large quantities and Lagos state now have a rice Mills of its own.
From my understanding of whatever is happening in Fashola, everyone on the Farm settlement or is it Estate now, are private sector investors, both foreign and local.
What exactly did we spend billions of Naira doing there, having in mind that the Loans collected and invested were meant to be spent on Fashola and other Farm Settlements in Akufo and Eruwa and considering the fact that nothing is happening in the other Farm Settlements?
What exactly were we wasting billions of Naira on when we were not cultivating a piece of land and why is it that Fashola just gulped the money that is expected to take care of several Farm Settlements?
Will the Governor please justify the decision to pay for a Documentary in Fashola and what purpose will that serve?
Will he come out and tell us why Eruwa Farm Settlement is being considered to be given to foreigners either through a lease, rent or outright sale?
I have thought about it severally and I am of the firm view that the investments in Agri-business is a misplaced priority no matter how you look at it.
Awolowo, who conceptualized the idea of the Farm Settlements had a clear vision of what he wanted.
He wanted to ensure food sufficiency for the people of the Western Region through Agriculture and at the same time used Agriculture as a tool to provide jobs and raise IGR.
He achieved all the results by directly investing in the planting of crops like Cashew, Cassava, Palm trees, Rubber, maize and went into livestock farming.
He rared cattle and invested in fish farming.
We are lucky in Oyo state to have those Farm Settlements already in place.
If Governor Seyi Makinde had followed the footsteps of Awolowo by investing in Agriculture as the late sage did, we will be having results just like Ogun state by now and we would have been saved the meaningless grammar from the “Alakowes” in charge of Fashola.
Whatever grammar they have been blowing all this while will not reasonate with anyone. Trailer Loads of Cassava and maize owned by Oyo state would have done the talking better.
Now, on Agbowo shopping complex.
It is only a sick man who will say that the state of the shopping complex is not a disaster.
Unfortunately, Governor Makinde has refused to say anything about such a terrible sight in the middle of the capital city.
Oosa bo le gbe mi, se mi bo se ba mi. If the deity can not better my lot, it should return me to my former state.
No one knows what Governor Makinde did with the N5 billion he collected as lease on the shopping complex or why he chose to enter into a lease that covers fifty years!
The promise to remodel has failed. Citizens of Oyo state were duped by those the Governor gave the complex to and someone doesn’t want us to talk about that?
I find no words strong enough to condemn whoever thinks Governor Makinde doesn’t deserve to be criticised for the disaster Agbowo shopping complex has become.
The other issue I want Governor Makinde to come out and explain to the public is the issue of Consultants in our Higher Institutions.
The Management of the various Institutions in the state have repeatedly condemned the decision, describing it as an aberration.
I must say that Governor Makinde runs every establishments of Government in the state through Consultants but my major concern here is the Higher Institutions.
As far as I know, the Consultants are doing the exact jobs cut out for the Governing Councils.
So, what logic is there in this duplication of responsibilities and waste of public resources as both of them would end up drawing salaries and or commissions as the case may be and either of them will be redundant?
A lot of issues has arose as a result of the inefficiency of this Consultants and someone doesn’t want us to talk about it because we must treat the Governor as ” a rii gbodo wi.
I believe I was explanatory enough about the need for Governor Seyi Makinde to justify the investments of billions of Naira on the building of garages when the maintenance of such garages are not his Constitutional responsibility.
As he enjoys his holidays, playing Pickleball games, he should prepare to tell us why he considers investing N28 billion plus an unknown maintenance sum on the mounting of streetlights, a project that the Governor himself, through his former Commissioner for Information, admitted has failed and why he will not tell the public the outcome of the investigation he ordered about the failed project.
Olanrewaju will not want us to demand from Governor Makinde, the outcome of his promised investigation of the alleged inflated Text Books contract he gave to his Broadcaster ally.
I don’t think the Governor would ever wish to talk about that issue because he promised to resign if the allegations were sustained.
I will like Governor Makinde to explain how much he has committed to Education. I am not talking about the sums budgeted but the actual sums released since he became Governor.
It will be interesting to compare, side by side, the financial commitment to Education as against what was committed to Light Up Oyo and the garages.
When he is doing that, he must tell us how much of Local Government funds went into his expenditures on Education.
I have taken time to explain most of this issues further because, it does seem like the camp of the Governor are not getting my points.
I wish Governor Makinde a safe trip back to work, while looking forward to his answers to the litany of questions we have been raising.
It does seem like Olanrewaju does not possess the capabilities to answer those questions.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
