On my Father’s side, they did not only worshipped Egungun, but they were also good at playing on the bata drums.
Infact, because of what Yorubas refer to as ” a je bi”, ( inbuilt), without receiving any training, I can do fairly well in beating the Bata Drums and take some beautiful dance steps.
As a result of this attributes, I love listening to and interpreting the messages of the talking drums.
There is a particular message of the talking drums which is always apt when the drummers wanted to pass a message of warning. ” To ba buru tan, iwo nikan ni o ku”. ( On the day of retribution, you will find yourself alone).
I woke up this morning and that particular message of the talking drums came to my mind.
Perhaps, it came to my consciousness because, for the past few days, I have been dwelling on the two very powerful messages from the Okanlomo Odua and Gbonka Olubadan, Chief Jubril Dotun Sanusi to the Governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde.
I was particularly interested in the statement titled ” A GOVERNOR SURROUNDED BY PRAISE SINGERS IS ON A JOURNEY OF DOOM”.
Let me quote the opening paragraph of the very powerful message, it reads, ” my dear people of Oyo state, there is an old wisdom that every leader must never forget: the greatest danger to a man in power is not the voice of his enemies, but the silence of those who should tell him the truth. A Governor who surrounds himself only with praise singers, sycophants and people whose livelihood depends on applauding every decision may enjoy temporary comfort, but he risks losing contact with the reality of the people he governs”. ( Chief Sanusi must have read the Book, ” Son of no one ” by Sherrilyn Kenyon).
This message from Chief Sanusi coincides with the period I had to take on a foul mouthed microphone personality who has chosen to combine his job with that of being Governor Seyi Makinde’s Chief praise singer.
I have been consistent about the fact that the Governor of Oyo state is surrounded by praise singers, sycophants and hangers on and he is forever comfortable in the midst of their deceitful lips.
There was a time I warned Governor Seyi Makinde about an overdose of propaganda.
If you take a critical and objective look at the activities of Governor Seyi Makinde as Governor of Oyo state, for the past seven years plus, you will agree with me that he has been flourishing, mostly, on blackmail, betrayal, propaganda, half-truths and outright lies.
Governor Makinde started by saying he was going to upgrade our Farm Settlements and he sought and got the approval of the Oyo state House of Assembly to redirect an already approved loan of over 7bn taken by the immediate past Administration of the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi for the purpose of upgrading the Farm Settlements.
What is the state of those Farm Settlements today? How many of them have been upgraded as promised?
The Eruwa Farm Settlement had been handed over to some faceless investors almost two years ago and nothing has taken place on the Settlement till today.
Currently, the people of Ogbomoso are asking the Governor not to hand over the Farm Settlement in Ogbomoso to Estate Developers but the Governor is insisting on going ahead with the handing over of the Farm Settlement to Estate Developers. Infact, a quit notice for December 2026 have been handed over to the Settlers in Ogbomoso.
Except for Fashola Farms in Oyo, none of the other Farm Settlements were upgraded, despite the sum of over 7bn and several other approved funds for that purpose.
There was a time the president of Sierra Leone or is it Togo, visited Oyo state.
Governor Seyi Makinde’s visitor said at the time that he once visited China.
He told a story about what the Chinese Prime Minister told him when he visited China. According to him , he was told by the Chinese Prime Minister that the only requirement for a successful Agricultural boost is the building of a road network which will connect the rural areas with the urban areas.
Governor Makinde also used the occasion to repeat his claims that he had built a road network that connected all the zones of Oyo state with Ibadan the state Capital.
Is Governor Seyi Makinde saying the truth in this regard? The answer is a capital NO.
Up till today, he is still struggling to complete a 48 klm Ido-Eruwa Road which connects the whole of Ibarapa Land and a part of Oke-Ogun with Ibadan.
In this regard, he has been boasting about the Moniya-Iseyin road project. However, the truth is that the project was ongoing when he resumed office as the Governor of Oyo state.
The only thing he did was to cancel the initial contract and re-award by adding 2bn to the initial contract.
I am not aware of any fresh road project Governor Seyi Makinde embarked upon that linked Oyo zone with Ibadan.
So, when he kept saying that he built a road network that linked all the zones of Oyo state with Ibadan, what exactly does he mean by that?
Also, I am sure that the Chinese Prime Minister couldn’t have advised that a state Governor should run down Local Governments and starve them of their statutory monthly allocations, meant for the developments of the rural areas.
I am equally sure that the Government of China would never have tolerated a state Governor who is notorious for illegally making withdrawals from the accounts of the Local Governments as Governor Makinde has been doing in the past seven years.
Today, in Oyo state, Local Government Chairmen have become idle. They have been reduced to occasional praise singers of the Governor and Seye Famojuro.
Today, in our state, the Internally Generated Revenues, IGR from the Bus Terminals which were built with funds belonging to the Local Governments are being funneled to private pockets.
As I write this piece, the controversial Light Up Oyo Project which was executed with billions of Naira and which was accepted by Governor Makinde as a failed project has not only lost relevance and become useless, it is still swallowing billions of Naira.
Commissioning of otherwise failed projects have become the order of the day. Typical examples are the Bodija Market Road project which was commissioned less than three weeks ago and the Omi-Adio-Ido Road.
Just this last week, I saw a flyer where it was stated that Governor Makinde was to be honored with a Chieftaincy Title in Eruwa.
The impostor he forced on the throne of Eruwa, Samuel Adebayo Adegbola is said to be celebrating his first year anniversary of illegality.
I wasn’t surprised that Governor Seyi Makinde didn’t attend the ceremony.
When he was installing the impostor a year ago, Governor Makinde made a desperate promise which some of us knew he would not keep.
He vowed that he shouldn’t be allowed to enter into Eruwa if he hasn’t completed the rehabilitation of the 48klm Ido-Eruwa Road.
Expectedly, he hasn’t completed the job and he knew some of us would remind him of his failed promises. I think he chose to hide his face on that occasion and I give him credit for that.
I saw a video of his anointed gubernatorial candidate, Bimbo Adekambi on that day.
I’m sure he didn’t go to Eruwa on his cosmetic Micra car on that day. If he had done, he would have needed a bath and a change of clothes before showing his face on the field. The dust on the road is no respecter of personalities.
The Agbowo Shopping Complex has remained a subject for discussion since the inception of the Administration of Governor Seyi Makinde and it is still a subject for discussion.
Hon. Shittu Ibrahim, who represents the good people of Saki West in the Oyo state House of Assembly raised a very disturbing allegations against Governor Seyi Makinde and some members of the Oyo state House of Assembly.
The allegations which center on the manner with which loans are being approved for Governor Seyi Makinde were swept under the carpet.
A lot of people, including yours truly, have been complaining about Governor Seyi Makinde’s inability to sustain relationships.
It is public knowledge that Chief Dotun Sanusi used to be one of his supporters before now.
Whatever such a personality says about the character of the Governor should be taken seriously.
Chief Sanusi is not known for being a petty or a flippant individual.
He is respectable and reserved.
Thank God, he doesn’t fall into the category of someone Governor Seyi Makinde could accuse of being angry because he didn’t agree to be sharing state resources with him.
That is their usual way of blackmailing everyone who had issues with the Governor, regardless of how genuine their concerns are.
I see that the attack dogs have kept their tongues in the scabbard.
They could not attack Chief Sanusi for several reasons.
Sometimes, when these funny fellows swarm on some of us, attacking us for daring to criticize their deity, I used to think we elected an Angel as our Governor.
The Governor has been gradually and technically destroying the Broadcasting Corporations of Oyo state, BCOS through harmful policies and irrational encroachment on the spaces around the Corporation.
Our friend, the birthday boy and other lickspittles wouldn’t see anything wrong about that. Why would they? Their mouths and conscience have been paid for.
If you take a critical look at Governor Makinde’s political history, you would wonder, why is it that the Governor always have issues with those who once assisted him in one or the other?
What happened between him and most of the principal actors in the coalition of 2019? How many of them are still with him today?
What of Ayodele Fayose? H. E, Amb. Taofik Arapaja? Nyesom Wike? Sen. Hosea Agboola? H. E, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan? President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and many others, too numerous to mention?
The only individual Governor Seyi Makinde has not betrayed is Seye Famojuro and perhaps, that is because he couldn’t dare to betray him.
The interesting thing is that, after he betrayed these people, his praise singers and the sycophants around him would immediately switch from praising them and will start castigating them just because they are no longer with their pay master.
They are never bothered about the reasons behind the conflicts between them and Governor Seyi Makinde!
Honestly, only zombies are capable of switching positions like that.
The Governor said he doesn’t believe in the existence of Local Governments, despite the Constitutional recognition given to them. The zombies clapped.
He was violating the judgments of the Supreme Court and other layers of the Nigerian Courts, they clapped.
He set up a Committee to review the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. They went into a frenzy of excitement.
He started selling every assets of Government. They danced.
He is building lock-up shops around the BCOS. They are quiet.
He insulted president Bola Ahmed Tinubu during a Media Chat. They celebrated by pumping champagne.
He has set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to hunt for enemies that are not existing. They responded by distributing ” aso ebi” for celebration.
Honestly, I see an elephant, dancing towards a throne of perdition.
” A o merin joba, eweku ewele”.
Sola Abegunde.
