Governor Makinde’s Preparations For 2027: Redirecting The Traffic || Sola Abegunde
For about two weeks or so now, I have not been able to write any story in the media.
I have been engaged with some background activities which would not allow me quality time to write about different topics competing for my attention.
Despite my inability to write anything, I had a good time reading through all manner of propaganda by Governor Seyi Makinde’s lickspittles and ” akigbe Oba”.
They had a field day, feeding the public with all manner of fake news, exaggerations, half-truths and outright lies.
When I decided to write this piece, I must admit that I had a difficult time deciding on which of the topics to write about considering the facts that Governor Makinde’s noise makers actually polluted the spaces so much, this past few weeks.
Before I forget, I must also say that the time off I had, provided me with a beautiful opportunity to sift through the plethora of Media propaganda which were deliberately unleashed this past couple of weeks.
I also had ample time to look through the activities from Governor Makinde’s Government recently and matching the two together, I saw clearly that Governor Makinde had already started backing his words with action.
Sometimes last year when he was commissioning a road project within Ibadan, I think, around the Oluyole axis, he said he was going to work for a number of years within his second term in office and within specific periods, it would all be about politics.
I am sure that the Governor didn’t say he would start politicking this early but clearly, it is obvious that Governor Makinde is no longer patient.
Politicking has started full blown.
I looked at how a simple action of releasing letters of appointments to those who were offered appointments into the civil service was turned to a jamboree.
About a couple of weeks ago, I saw pictures of government retirees been flaunted and the frenzy that accompanied it.
I saw headlines like: ” you have made us the highest paid retirees in Nigeria”.
I saw the piece by one Dennis Shima, a ” Political Analyst” who was begging the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to ensure that Governor Seyi Makinde is made the presidential candidate of the PDP in 2027.
The Shimas don’t just happen. They must have been triggered.
Just like Shima, I read the entertaining piece by one ” Wilanca” if such a person actually exists. The clown said in his piece that the people of Ogun state would be happy to swap Makinde for Dapo Abiodun, the present Governor of Ogun state!
Isn’t that hilarious? Unfortunately for Wilanca, his sole reason for writing the embarrassing stuff is because, according to him, he listened to a radio program, ( whether that is true or not), where he claimed some callers were wishing for Governor Makinde as the Governor of Ogun state.
I was contemplating taking on the clown when I saw the rejoinder by Funmi Branco.
The fellow did justice to the outrageous nonsense by Wilanca whoever he or she is.
Branco made nonsense of the story by Wilanca and supported the rejoinder with facts and figures and if you compare the two stories, you will see the reasons why no reasonable resident or indigene of Ogun state would ever wish to swap their Governor for Seyi Makinde.
Infact, there is no basis for comparison.
Funmi Branco highlighted certain key areas which I will like to call the attention of Wilanca, whoever he or she is to.
She talked about IGR in Ogun state and she was emphatic that the IGR of Ogun state is enough to pay the salaries of workers without waiting for the monthly Allocations from Abuja. Governor Makinde made a promise in that direction before his election in 2019. He said he wouldn’t wait for the monthly Allocations from Abuja to run his Government.
Experience have since shown that talk is cheap.
Let me ask the clown, Wilanca if Governor Makinde could do the same in Oyo, that is, pay the salaries of workers with just IGR?
She also talked about the Independent Power project by the Ogun state Governor. Will Wilanca also say that the project in Oyo state is comparable to that of Ogun state?
Funmi went further to talk about the Airport project in Ogun state. Let us ask our friend, Wilanca, to speak to this also.
Governor Seyi Makinde and those who have been cashing out from him through Media propaganda have something in common.
With due respect, they are not original. They have no intentions for substance. Just the noise.
Those who are doing the wishy-washy Media job for him know that most of Governor Makinde’s projects and policies are cosmetic.
That is why it is always easy to take them apart without sweat.
Take for instance, the issue of employment of Teachers in our public primary and secondary schools.
I have said it repeatedly. If Governor Makinde employs everyone in Oyo state as Teachers and Oyo keeps recording poor results in both WAEC and NECO, the conclusion would be that, in the area of Education, he has failed.
That is the plain truth. Regardless of whatever the lickspittles are telling him.
I have repeated it times without number. Employment of Teachers is just one of the litany of problems facing the Education sector in Oyo state and Governor Makinde contributed immensely to the problems we currently have in that sector.
His cancelation of the Ajimobi policy in Education and substituting of same with a fake free Education policy is the root cause of the problems we are currently facing in the Education sector in Oyo state.
Before you jump to the Governor’s defense, go around and look at the state of the schools Governor Makinde is staffing with Teachers.
Go and see for yourself, the condition of the offices of the Principals, Vice principals, Headmasters and Teachers in our public primary and secondary schools.
Go check the condition of the classrooms and tell me what magic the Teachers would perform under the terrible circumstances.
I can say it clearly that the Governor is not committed to giving Oyo state quality Education.
His main concern is to focus on an aspect that suits his populist ideaology.
I have said it once that the Governor is fixated on employing Teachers because Teachers are more useful during campaign periods.
Did the Teachers not march out for him during the campaign for his second term in 2023?
Can blocks of classrooms, decent offices, exercise books, text books, well equiped laboratories and libraries put on face caps and customized vests to campaign for the Governor?
You know they can’t but these, much more than the Teachers would have spoken for him well after his tenure. They would have been his enduring legacies but Governor Makinde is interested in quick fixes not enduring legacies.
The Governor has the opportunity of seeking advice and help from former Governor, Oba, Senator Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja concerning his brilliant Education policy which worked perfectly during his time but I think ego would not allow him do that.
Like I said, I have seen that the Governor is ready for politicking and his actions are completely dedicated to that.
I must however remind him that we will redirect the traffic.
We will ensure that we take him out of the comfort zone where a shield of propaganda has been built around him.
We will drag him out and take him up on his actions and inactions.
It has been said that he is nursing a presidential ambition and he has not denied the claim.
No problems. It is his Constitutional right.
However, Governor Makinde must be prepared to contend with the questions we have been asking him all this while and which he has deliberately ignored or refused to answer.
I went to Abuja twice recently and I chose to do the traveling by Road.
It was so tiring and challenging but the experience was worth the pain.
I got answers to some of the questions that has been excising my mind about why we are having challenges of feeding ourselves in Oyo state.
My physical experience on the road to Abuja was reinforced by a document which I stumbled upon at the material time.
The said document highlighted the Budgets on Agriculture by the 36 states of the Federation in 2025.
According to the document, Oyo state was in distant 28 position, having budgeted #14.56 billion.
The disturbing aspect is that Lagos state which has almost zero arable land was in fifth position with a budget of #79.67 billion.
Niger state led the pack, dedicating as much as #460.11 billion.
Now, in view of availability of arable land mass, Oyo state should be competing with Niger state.
Unfortunately, even, Boko Haram ravaged Borno is far ahead of Oyo state just as it is in Education.
Borno is in 16th position with a Budget of #28.43 billion.
Ogun state, where Wilanca unwittingly declared that the citizens would be glad to swap their Governor for Seyi Makinde was in the 9th position, having Budgeted a whooping #54.48 billion.
One of the things I noticed on my way to Abuja is the fact that the Northern states might overtake us in the South and very soon, in the production of cassava.
The number of trucks carrying cassava around Niger and Kogi states are enormous.
It will be a big shame on the day another state in Nigeria beats Oyo state to the highest producer of cassava.
We have the Land but instead of utilizing it for the production of cassava and other food crops, the present Governor is busy selling the Lands off and empowering foreigners while discouraging local farmers.
We are not into regular season farming. We are not into dry season farming.
Oyo state is also depending on the North for food crops like pepper, tomatoes, onions, water melon and even yam!
Even, as we speak, Garri and Elubo are cheaper in Minna, Niger state compared to what we have anywhere in Oyo state!!
Governor Makinde has taken so much in terms of loans, purportedly dedicated to Agribusiness.
What has it fetched us? Grammar? So sad.
The questions about the debts profile of Oyo state is another issue that Governor Makinde can not and will not escape.
It is always easy for him and his Media outfit to talk about how the Governor has been doing this and that unlike his predecessors.
Unfortunately, when you ask them to tell us how much of this and that came as a result of borrowings, they will go mute.
Oyo state is terribly in debts no doubts about it.
A lot of cosmetic projects were done with borrowed money.
Sadly, the costs of most of this Projects were inflated and done with the resources of the 33 Local Governments.
I will take the issue of the Bus Terminals as an example.
The Bus Terminals were originally approved for a sum of #16 billion but I can say here that the Government of Makinde eventually varied the contract to a higher sum.
In other words, the Bus Terminals cost more than #16 billion.
The interesting thing is that the Government put together, a Team of Engineers within the state Government service to vet the Bill of Quantity submitted by the contractors when #16 billion was initially proposed.
The Engineers recommended a reduction in the original contract sum of #16 billion.
Those Engineers would never forget the day they did their jobs as professionals.
They were scolded. Labelled enemies of Government and severely dealt with.
In the long run, even the contract sum of #16 billion was reviewed upwards!
So much for Mr. Integrity.
Those issues would come to light and they will come sooner than expected.
Governor Seyi Makinde who wants to be the president of Nigeria has so much skeleton in his cupboard.
I don’t know why he always forgets himself when he starts criticizing others.
I know that he has thrown so much incentives around to close a lot of mouths and eyes but no matter how much he throws around, they will never be enough.
Not all conscience are for sale.
Majority of those who should be asking questions have suddenly lost their voices due to the collection of gifts of SUVs.
They should be the ones telling us that the contract for the Light Up Oyo which has been erroneously believed to be at the cost of #28 billion was actually varied up to #32 billion.
Such an outrageous amount for the erection of glorified street lights!?
Sadly, even the Governor himself admitted that the contractor who handled the project failed.
Are those the materials Governor Makinde would be bringing to the table to convince us that he is coming to make Nigeria El dorado?
Or will it be that he would promise us to rehabilitate our National Stadia with humongous amounts of money and build Mini Stadia in all Garages just as he has done in Oyo state?
I am sure that if Governor Makinde becomes the president today, one of the first things he would do is to scrape the 774 Local Governments and perhaps turn them to Agencies under the Presidency.
You can guess who he would put in charge of such an Agency? Certainly, the one who controls the activities of the Park Management System is the sure bet.
Like I said, Governor Makinde, while testing the waters and making the dual preparations for his presidential ambition and the task of covering his tracks in Oyo state must be prepared for a redirection of the traffic.
When a tree falls on another tree, you first take care of the one at the top.
This content stands as the opinion of the writer and does not translate to the opinion of this medium.
