Pa Lasisi Alamu aka ‘Atatalo’ was a prominent entertainer who was renowned for his mastery of the Dundun drum.
He was an Ibadan man from Ajalaruru compound and like a father to the Fuji musician, Abass Akande, aka Obesere.
The Yoruba word ‘ Atatalo’ is actually a shortened translation of ‘ a tun ata lo si Gbegiri ana’.
Gbegiri is a very popular soup which is usually combined with ‘ ewedu’ soup, very delicious when consumed with Amala, a popular swallow in the South West of Nigeria.
Usually, Gbegiri is a soup which is cooked and consumed instantly.
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It is not a soup that lasts till the following day.
So, when Yorubas refer to you as someone who is trying to refresh a Gbegiri soup of yesterday, ( a tun ata lo si Gbegiri ana), they are actually saying that you’re trying to celebrate something stale.
For the past 24 hours, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Oyo state have been celebrating what it called ‘ a significant moment in our political landscape as we welcome one of the brightest minds from the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi’s administration into the PDP’.
The bright mind being referred to by the PDP is Hon. Bimbo Adekambi, a former Commissioner for Finance under the late former Governor Abiola Ajimobi .
The frenzy on social media regarding this ‘ significant moment ‘ of the entry of Adekambi into the PDP is somehow funny.
Why do I say so?
Hon. Bimbo Adekambi’s romance with Governor Seyi Makinde and the PDP is not a fresh issue.
In fact, it was alleged that his name was submitted by Governor Seyi Makinde to President Tinubu for consideration as a Minister immediately after the 2023 general election.
What does that tell us?
It could only mean that a relationship existed between the duo before his name could have been submitted by the Governor for appointment as a Minister.
Not only that, Hon. Bimbo Adekambi was appointed by Governor Seyi Makinde to head a Committee saddled with the responsibilities of upgrading the Alakia Airport.
This appointment is over a year now.
Hon. Bimbo Adekambi is a brilliant man no doubts and as a result of that, I am sure that when he accepted that appointment, he knew that whatever pretence to his membership of APC was over.
Infact, when I saw his notice of withdrawal from the APC a couple of months ago, I laughed and wondered how hypocritical human beings could be.
It is being rumored that he will be the anointed successor to Governor Seyi Makinde.
I wish him well but may I ask, under which political platform will his rumored ambition be predicated?
I will come back to that later.
Like I said, I was amused when Oyo PDP rolled out the drums yesterday in celebration of a stale news.
Who would blame them?
The PDP is presently being hit with series of unpleasant news on a daily basis these days.
Presently, I think they are left with just four Governors and who knows how many of the four would be left in the coming days.
The fate of the Party itself is hanging on the edge of a cliff.
Greed and inordinate ambitions has completely damaged the very foundation of the Party.
In Oyo state, the PDP keeps bleeding.
They have lost Hosea Agboola aka Alleluyah.
They have lost Professor Afonja and many more notable members.
Don’t they deserve to create some happiness for themselves, even if it would be at the risk of celebrating something stale?
I honestly think they do.
I have to say that I am particularly impressed and happy that the PDP actually spoke some truth for the first time when they were trying to celebrate the ‘ capturing ‘ of Bimbo Adekambi.
Capturing you will wonder?
I will explain this in another piece but like I said, I am impressed that the PDP spoke some truth for the first time.
They said Bimbo Adekambi is one of the brightest minds from the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s administration and went ahead to describe him as ‘ a man widely respected for his brilliance, capacity and administrative competence…’.!
They are very correct but why is it now that they are just discovering that the late Abiola Ajimobi actually assembled bright minds who were ‘.. brilliant, capable and having administrative competence..’ to run his Government?
Why is it that Governor Makinde and the PDP spent the last six years plus presenting Ajimobi and the APC to the public as failures and enemies of the people, even though, they are now inadvertently admitting that he assembled the brightest minds of which Adekambi is one of them?
An assemblage of bright minds don’t run a failed Government.
In other words, Governor Makinde and the PDP have been lying that Ajimobi ran a bad Government in Oyo state.
It was all bad politics.
At this point, I think an apology will do.
Like they said, the late Abiola Ajimobi, himself, a very brilliant individual, actually assembled a crop of beautiful and bright minds and together, they ran a Government that performed creditably well.
Yes, like every human being, the late Governor had his limitations but there is no way he was a failure.
Governor Makinde has also loaned another individual from the APC of Abiola Ajimobi to help him organize the 50 years celebration of Oyo state.
We don’t know if that one will also make the loan deal a permanent one.
What this tells us is that Governor Makinde and the PDP are bereft of the kind of brilliant minds which the APC boasts of in abundance.
The brilliant minds that worked with Ajimobi came up with the Oyo state Anthem which even Governor Makinde now sings along with gusto on official functions.
They conceptualized the Oyo state Health Insurance Scheme OYSIA and I’m sure, even Governor Makinde admirers the concept even though he will not publicly give Ajimobi the credit.
Now, under Governor Makinde, what do we have?
We have the Parks Management System, PMS an illegal arrangements under which public funds are being syphoned.
We have the ‘ Atatalo’ arrangements where OYSADEP became OYSADA. Just a change in nomenclature and lesser delivery.
We have the Oyo state Anti Corruption Agency, OYSACA, a needless duplication of efforts that has made little or no difference in the fight against corruption.
I don’t know why the likes of Michael Ogunsina always jump about, celebrating an action that represents a clear indictment on existing PDP members.
Is it that the PDP in Oyo state is so bereft of competent individuals that Governor Makinde would always reach out to the APC any time he wants to assign important responsibilities to people?
I think this action should be a source of concerns for Oyo PDP, not a reason to celebrate.
As for Hon. Bimbo Adekambi, I wish him well on the bumpy route he has chosen to travel on.
If or when he becomes Governor Seyi Makinde’s anointed candidate in the PDP or any other platform they choose to run to, we should have more words.
Sola Abegunde.
