It’s almost two years now that some celebrities inadvertently unfold a kind of dirty game the Gen-z were playing at the time.
Truth or Dare: a stand up comedian had issues with his marriage as a result of that game, when it was alleged that his wife played the game with a nollywood actor and the bizarre game ended up in a scenario where the nollywood actor was alleged to have had canal knowledge of the comedian’s wife.
I have been thinking a lot recently. Governor Seyi Makinde is a very bold, fearless and outspoken personality. Currently, he is having issues with his former ally, Oriyomi Hamzat and the latter has been waxing lyrics of past shady deals minute by minute.
Out of concerns for the number one citizen of Oyo state, I have discovered a way to ease the tension on the Governor, at least, a bit. There has been a lot of issues which are shrouded in mysteries around his government since he became Governor of Oyo state in May 29, 2019.
Personally, I have raised a lot of questions regarding alleged fraud and fraudulent actions of government under his watch and up till now I have not received answers.
Now, suppose I throw a challenge at our fearless and fearsome Governor Seyi Makinde, will His Excellency dare to take up the gauntlet?
Truth or dare! Shall we begin?
Suppose I dare Governor Makinde to list the number of contracts he has awarded since 2019, with the names of all contractors and their companies, all the contracts that were executed with state funds, the ones executed with Local Government funds, the costs of each contract, variations and the reasons for the variations, will Governor Makinde dare?
Suppose I ask the Governor to tell the public the name of the company that handled the Light Up Oyo Project, the total amount that was eventually spent on the project because I am aware that the contract was varied several times, more than doubling the original initial approval, the identity of the company responsible for the fuelling of the generators, why the contract failed, how many of the generators are currently working, the cost of maintenance of the generators per day and the current status of the project, will the governor dare?
Assuming I ask Governor Makinde to publicly declare exactly how much he has received on behalf of the 33 Local Governments from June 2019 to date, the breakdown of the monthly allocation received by each of the 33 Local Governments, the salaries, pensions and other deductions from each of the 33 Local Governments per month, the number of projects executed by each of the 33 Local Governments, the number of contracts awarded by each Local Government, the cost of the contracts, process of approving the contracts, loans obtained by each of the 33 Local Governments, purposes for the loans, assets inherited by each of the Local Governments and their current assets, can Governor Makinde dare?
This should be very easy for Governor Makinde, can he publish the total loan approvals for his Government from 2019 to date, the process of the approvals, purposes of the loans, performance of the loans and the exact current debts profile of the state, will Governor Seyi Makinde dare?
Governor Makinde had converted so many of Oyo State Government land to Government Reservation Areas, GRAs and Estates, I will use just one as case study for the purpose of this challenge. Suppose I ask Governor Makinde to tell the public how the Engr. Lere Adigun GRA is being managed, who is the Estate manager? Can the Governor release the details of the agreement between the OYO State Government and the Estate manager? How much was a plot of Land selling at takeoff? How much is it now? How much is Oyo State Government making from the sale of a plot of Land? How many of Governor Seyi Makinde’s appointees have properties in the GRA? Will Governor Seyi Makinde dare?
Its over two years now that Governor Makinde handed over the Eruwa Farm Settlement to yet to be known investors, up till now, nothing has happened at the place, will Governor Seyi Makinde tell the public , the identity of the investors, the agreement between the Oyo State Government and the investors, the reasons why the investors have refused to show up and whether the handing over of the Farm Settlement was inclusive of the Eruwa Water Works, will Governor Makinde dare?
The 48 km Ido-Eruwa Road has become an impossible puzzle for Governor Seyi Makinde to solve. In 2023, Governor Makinde claimed that he awarded the contracts for the rehabilitation or, is it reconstruction of 12 out of the 48 klm stretch of the road. The 12 km contract approved in 2023, according to the Governor, was given to two separate contractors. The two contractors didn’t do up to 6km put together before Governor Makinde re awarded the contract, sometimes last year I think. Now, can Governor Makinde provide information about the identities of the two contractors who took up the initial contracts for the rehabilitation of 12km, how much was paid to them, why they didn’t fulfill the 12km stretch awarded, whether they were fully paid, the identity of the new contractor and the contract sum. Will Governor Makinde dare?
Regarding the Ido-Eruwa Road, I have some information regarding the identities of the initial contractors but I will like to see if Governor Makinde will pick the gauntlet by daring to provide the information before we square up.
Mukaila Auxiliary, Governor Seyi Makinde’s former Chairman of the Park Management System, PMS publicly declared that he spent funds belonging to the System to fund Governor Makinde’s second term election. The monies realized through the PMS should largely belong to the Local Governments. There has been a lot of unhealthy rumors linking a close ally of Governor Seyi Makinde who holds no official position in his government but he is as powerful as the Governor himself, to this public funds. Will Governor Makinde publish the details of how much that has come in through the PMS since it’s inception and how the monies were delivered to the original owners, the Local Governments? Can the Governor dare?
The rate at which officers of the PMS transit to become multi millionaires overnight, building gigantic residential buildings, Estates and Hotels is notoriously known.
Governor Makinde’s preferred gubernatorial candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi was appointed as the Chairman of a Committee to oversee the upgrading of the Alakia Airport, Ibadan from a domestic to an International Airport. A sum of 62 billion Naira or so, was approved for the assignment but I have information pointing to the fact that there were variations up to around 200 billion Naira or thereabout. Will Governor Seyi Makinde explain in details, the total amount of money released to the Adekanmbi led Committee for the upgrade of the Alakia Airport? What specific roles were assigned to Bimbo Adekanmbi and the reasons behind the alleged variations? Will the Governor dare?
Not long after Hon. Ibrahim Shittu who is representing the good people of Saki West blew the whistle on an alleged cabal within the Oyo state House of Assembly, which had been approving loans for the Governor without following due process, the Oyo State Government came out with a number of approval of funds for a number of projects.
Funds were approved for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Oyo State Government House, the proposed Airstrip at Igbeti, the purchase of two surveillance Aircrafts, rehabilitation of some roads in Eruwa, over a hundred billion Naira for Light Up Oyo and other projects. I will like to treat the issue of the fresh approval for the Light Up Oyo separately, but will Governor Makinde tell the public, the contractors who got the contracts for the construction of an airstrip at Igbeti, cost of the contract, the status of the project, the contractors that got the job for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Government House, the contractors who were awarded the contract for the purchase of two surveillance aircrafts and the rehabilitation of the Eruwa township roads? Will Governor Makinde dare?
I deliberately decided to treat the issue of the fresh approval of funds for the Light Up Oyo. There was an initial original contract which was approved for 28 billion Naira but was later varied to almost 50 billion Naira. This was the contract which Governor Seyi Makinde admitted publicly to its failure less than two years it was completed. I was seriously disturbed to see that Governor Makinde and his government still approved fresh funds up to over a hundred billion Naira for the same project. Now, will Governor Seyi Makinde explain to the public, the purpose of the fresh approval of funds? I have asked this question severally and I haven’t received answers. What new things has happened around that failed project called Light Up Oyo to justify the approval of a fresh over a hundred billion Naira? Will Governor Seyi Makinde tell us, the specific job for which the funds are tied? Who is the new contractor? What is he contracted to do with the humongous amount of money? Will Governor Makinde ever dare to provide answers to these questions?
I don’t want this game to be cumbersome, but I will like to round up this first segment by asking a final question regarding the Omi-Adio-Ido Road.
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That road was awarded by Governor Seyi Makinde around December, 2023, if my memory serves me right. Between that period and now, rehabilitation jobs have been carried out more than twice because the quality of the job done ab initio was so terrible.
I have been informed allegedly, that the funds with which the contract for the rehabilitation of the road was awarded belonged to Ido Local Government.
I was further informed allegedly that a Career Officer in Ido Local Government, who was uncomfortable with the manner the contract was awarded had to seek for a transfer from Ido.
Now, I am wondering if Governor Seyi Makinde will provide the following information to the public regarding that contract:
Who awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the Omi-Adio-Ido Road in 2023?
Who signed the contract papers?
What is the cost of the contract and how was the funds approved?
Who engaged the contractor that got the job and what is the identity of the contractor?
Will Governor Seyi Makinde dare to provide answers to these questions?
I have asked these questions because, most of the contracts executed under Governor Seyi Makinde could easily be termed as failed contracts. Like I said, I don’t want this game to be cumbersome. Let’s pause here to see if Governor Makinde would pick up the gauntlet and accept this challenge.
There has been so much tension building around the Governor recently, like I said earlier. The rantings of his estranged Broadcaster friend are more than enough to give someone a headache.
I hope Governor Seyi Makinde will embrace this game and consider it my little way of offering some tonic to douse the tension.
Let the game begin.
Truth or dare!
Sola Abegunde.
