Governor Seyi Makinde failed this test. In fact, he ran away from participating in the game. Let us see if his anointed gubernatorial candidate will fare differently.
Now that discussions are centered on whether Bimbo Adekanmbi will ever dare to have a mind of his own, let’s play. I am sure he will pick the gauntlet. He appears to me like a very brave man. I hope he won’t disappoint me and before we start, let me say this, this is not a game you play through proxies like one Dr. Peter Akande. They won’t help you hold the red pen. You are the one who wants to be Governor. You’re alone on the Chess Board.
ALSO READ: Rufai Oseni On Seyi Makinde And Bimbo Adekanmbi: Truth Hurts, Attack Dogs Silence
Let us start with the issue of Local Government Administration in Oyo state.
Governor Seyi Makinde does not believe in the existence of the third tier of government. He was bold enough to declare publicly in 2023 that he would never sign up for Local Government financial autonomy.
Not only that, the governor once said that he doesn’t trust Local Government Chairmen because they could not account for the monthly release of 10 million Naira per Local Government and he stopped the release of the money.
Under Governor Seyi Makinde, assets belonging to the 33 Local Governments have been sold under controversial circumstances. For example, Tractors, Graders, Refuse Trucks and Borehole drilling machines inherited by the Local Governments have been sold under the watch of Governor Seyi Makinde.
I can categorically say that about 10 Refuse Trucks purchased for the Local Governments during the tenure of the late Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala were taken to Ibadan South East Local Government and were sold under very controversial circumstances and without transparency.
I have reported the Government of Oyo state to relevant anti-corruption agencies on the allegation that the Governor was warehousing funds belonging to the 33 Local Governments at Ibadan North Local Government and from there, the total monthly allocations, minus first line charges, were withdrawn to execute contracts awarded by the state government in Ibadan.
Governor Seyi Makinde also took loans and used the Bank accounts for the 33 Local Governments as collateral. In fact, a letter of irrevocable credit was signed by the governor to guarantee the Bank accounts for the 33 Local Governments as the collateral for the loans.
ALSO READ: Oyo 2027: Replacing Sharafadeen Alli’s Posters with Bimbo Adekanmbi Affirms Frustration of APM
These are allegations I have confronted Governor Seyi Makinde with and to which he has never for once, dared to deny or defend.
Now, will Bimbo Adekanmbi dare to speak to this issue and tell the public know his blueprint for the running of the Local Governments?
He is running on the mantra of Omi Tuntun and he has been going all over the place, spreading the ” good news” about Omi Tuntun 1.0 and Omi Tuntun 2.0.
So, will Omi Tuntun 3.0 which he represents, completely embrace the policy of Omi Tuntun with regards to Local Government Administration in Oyo state? Will he dare to make necessary clarifications?
I was reliably informed that inside Governor Seyi Makinde’s Executive Council meetings, Exco memos are treated like blood oaths. It is a case of glance and return to the maker.
You would now wonder, what is so secret about Executive memos which, ordinarily, should contain Government’s proposals for expenditures of public funds?
I challenge Governor Seyi Makinde to deny this fact by publishing the Executive memos from 2019 to date. Ordinarily, this memos should be regarded as public documents. So, why should it be treated otherwise?
Now, will Mr. Bimbo Adekanmbi dare to tell us how public memos would be treated under his watch?
A prominent Leader of the Allied People’s Movement, APM, Alhaji Ismaila Ashipa publicly declared that Bimbo Adekanmbi is actually a candidate backed by Seye Famojuro.
Neither of Governor Seyi Makinde nor Seye Famojuro denied this very grave allegation till today.
The public is aware of who Seye Famojuro is. The kind of authority he wields in the current Government in Oyo state.
Will Bimbo Adekanmbi dare to explain his relationship with the Ijesa man, Seye Famojuro?
Governor Seyi Makinde had been trying so hard to convince the people that he is not going to be his godfather, even though, no one in his right senses should believe that, yet, there is a Seye Famojuro who is always quiet. You don’t hear of him but you see his handwriting everywhere around Governor Seyi Makinde. He hasn’t denied Alhaji Ismaila Ashipa’s allegations, just as Governor Makinde didn’t. Will Bimbo Adekanmbi dare to explain how Seye Famojuro came into the picture?
The 4,000 hectares Eruwa Farm Settlement had been handed over to some unknown entities by Governor Seyi Makinde almost two years ago.
The Eruwa Water Works is within the Eruwa Farm Settlement and up till today, no one has seen any activity in the place.
Presently, the Farm Settlement in Ogbomoso is about to be taken away from the Settlers to be handed over to Estate Developers. In actual facts, a quit notice had been issued to the Settlers to vacate the Settlement by December of 2026 at the latest.
The same goes for the Veterinary Land at Saki West. Governor Seyi Makinde is being alleged of attempting to hand over the Land to Estate Developers.
The host communities in both cases are against the handing over of the Settlements to Estate Developers but Governor Makinde is insisting.
Will Bimbo Adekanmbi dare to speak directly to these issues? What is his opinion on the insistence of the Governor to hand over the Settlements to Estate Developers against the consent of the host Communities?
Bimbo Adekanmbi can not afford to be silent on these matter. If he is, then, we have to really revisit the fears of Rufai Oseni. Does Oyo state need a Governor who will not have a mind of his own? The answer is a capital NO.
He can not afford to be silent, most especially, because, Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, the Gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had addressed these issues and many others. He had offered solutions and alternatives. Shouldn’t we have Adekanmbi’s position on these issues so that we can compare and contrast? Silence from him means he consents to the position of the current Government on those issues.
I read a report yesterday. Governor Seyi Makinde is reportedly trying to tempt civil servants and pensioners with what he called ” a wage awards for six months”.
It is reported that civil servants will be paid a monthly wage award of #25,000 while pensioners will receive #15,000 monthly, but, it’s going to be for six months.
Let’s look at this. This is September, 2026. Six months, beginning from September 2026 will cover from September, 2026 to February, 2027.
The 2027 general elections will be conducted between January and February of 2027!
So, what does that tell you?
Do not get me wrong. I am not opposed to anything that will bring succour to civil servants and pensioners in the state.
What I do not favor is a Greek gift, wrapped as goodwill.
For the avoidance of doubts, let’s look at this matter critically. The monthly payment in question is referred to as ” wage awards” and it will last for six months.
It is not a newly approved minimum wage which would have the force of running for a longer period until it is further reviewed upward because there is no legislation backing it up.
Secondly, the Government of Oyo state is not bound to continue with the payment after six months because there is no legislation mandating Government to so do.
Presently, some cadre of civil servants are having a silent battle with the same Oyo state Government over draconian deductions of their monthly wages.
Staffs and pensioners of the Broadcasting Corporations of Oyo state, BCOS are wallowing in poverty as a result of unpaid salaries, pensions allowances and poor condition of service.
Staffs of the Abiola Ajimobi Technical University are having their own share of challenging conditions of service and the Governor is coming up with this, at this very point in time.
We are no longer in Stockholm Colony. Someone said Governor Makinde approved the wage awards to cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidies and I asked, when were the subsidies removed? Is it yesterday? Then, will the effects of fuel subsidies removal last for just six months and those six months would be the six months preceding the 2027 general election?
By the way, what is Bimbo Adekanmbi’s position regarding the predicaments of the Staff and pensioners of the BCOS?
Will he dare to tell us what he is going to do differently from what Governor Seyi Makinde is presently doing? Will he?
Governor Seyi Makinde is remarkable for treating the judgments of Courts with disdain.
He disobeyed the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the case of the Eleruwa.
He has refused to obey the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the case of the Onilala of Lanlate.
He said the judgment of the Supreme Court which granted full financial autonomy for Local Governments has a lacuna and claimed he will choose to obey the judgment in a way that pleases him.
He refused to acknowledge the judgment of the Court of Appeal which ordered him to lift the illegal embargo he placed on the activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW.
Will Bimbo Adekanmbi dare to tell us how he plans to address these issues if he is elected as Governor of Oyo state?
Will he depart from disobeying the judgments of the courts and do the right thing, or he will continue in the footsteps of his predecessor?
Perhaps, I should allow Mr. Adekanmbi to address these few questions for now.
When he responds, we can now continue with the game. I hope he would just be man enough to take up the challenge and if he doesn’t, I am telling him, one way or the other, he will have to answer these questions.
I read a report yesterday that Governor Seyi Makinde is upgrading from Omi Tuntun to ” MAD”. ” MAD Resetters”.
I have been wondering since yesterday. Who advised the Governor to accept such a slogan?
MAD Resetters!
O ga o.
Sola Abegunde.
