Governor Seyi Makinde, and Bimbo Adekanmbi’s narratives around the issue of financial autonomy for Local Governments is failing to hold water.
I have written a lot and spoken about the workability of the system.
I just want to address the lies created by Bimbo Adekanmbi during his interview on Radio some days ago.
Just like Governor Seyi Makinde, Bimbo Adekanmbi wants us to believe that Primary school Teachers salaries might be threatened if Local Governments are receiving their monthly allocations directly from the Federation Account.
That is a lie from the pit of hell. To buttress this point, let me give two examples.
Before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took over as president of Nigeria, about 27 States of the Federation were owing salaries.
As at today, no State of the federation is owing salaries. You will ask yourself why? The answer is simple. Since the removal of fuel subsidies, States and Local Governments now have more resources to take care of the payments of salaries, pension and allowances and after doing so, they still have enough to commit to developmental projects.
Secondly, as at today, the monthly allocations for Local Governments in Osun state are being paid directly. So, it is not like it’s a taboo or anything that has not been happening.
Osun state does not owe a kobo in salaries and pension.
The incoming Administration of Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli has promised to operate full financial autonomy for the 33 Local Governments of Oyo state beginning from May 29, 2027 and it will be so.
Teachers and Staff of Local Governments need not worry or be swayed by the lies Bimbo Adekanmbi and the APM are peddling about that their monthly wages and pension would be at risk if financial autonomy are granted to Local Governments.
Salaries and pension are first line charges. There will be an Executive Order to protect the direct deductions of first line charges and once that is done, it is legally settled.
RELATED NEWS:
Governor Seyi Makinde On FAAC Receipts: The Mouth Of A Liar Ought To Bleed | By Sola Abegunde
Removal of Balogun of Ogbomosoland Has no Basis in Existing Chiefs Law — Oyo Govt Tells Soun
Ido-Eruwa Road: Only a Fool will be Moved by the Narratives Of Bimbo Adekanmbi | By Sola Abegunde
Ido-Eruwa Road: Only a Fool will be Moved by the Narratives Of Bimbo Adekanmbi | By Sola Abegunde
Oyo 2027: For Makinde and Adekanmbi, The Bullets of Hypocrisy are Exhausted | By Sola Abegunde
The APM are running away from the judgment of the Supreme Court because they see Local Governments as a cow to be milked to the bone.
An All Progressives Congress, APC Government, under Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli is poised to accept the 33 Local Governments as a tier of Government, guaranteed to stand on its own for the development of the grassroots.
I received a lot of very shocking and sad information about the present Government last night.
Imagine, in this age and time, Governor Seyi Makinde is still buying diesel powered generators for the 33 Local Governments!
You will ask yourself, what happened to solar powered source of energy?
Secondly, why would the Governor carry it upon his head to be purchasing diesel powered generators for Local Governments?
Interestingly, there is no Local Government that didn’t have a functioning generator before the Governor went ahead to buy diesel powered generators for them.
That is one of the reasons why Governor Seyi Makinde and Bimbo Adekanmbi will never grant financial autonomy to the Local Governments and that brings me, once again, to the decision to conduct a Local Government election in December this year.
I was told that Governor Seyi Makinde is planning to swear in the products of the December 29 Local Government election immediately after the election.
You will note that the tenure of the present occupiers of the offices expires on the 23rd of May, 2027.
According to the information given to me, Governor Makinde is planning to pay the present occupiers of the offices off by January, 2027.
He wants to pay them five months salary for them to vacate office for the products of the December 29, 2026 Local Government election.
You know what that means, two sets of Local Government Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, Councilors, Supervisory Councilors and Local Government SAs will be paid billions of Naira of Local Government resources for a period of five months, running from January to May, 2027! Some, for doing nothing!!
If you recollect, that was exactly how Governor Seyi Makinde started.
He was forced, by the Court, to pay the salary and allowances of the Local Government Chairmen duly elected during Ajimobi’s tenure after the illegal Chairmen and other Council officials he selected had collected salaries for the same periods that should have been a remainder of the tenure of the Ajimobi Chairmen.
What exactly is wrong with Governor Seyi Makinde? Even, the prodigal son didn’t do up to this.
Yes, you said you are stubborn. We agree. It is your cup of tea, but as a leader, must you ruin everything you built, just because you claim to be stubborn?
Yesterday, I saw a video of him at a program and he was saying that some people say that he has just seven months left in office, but, until the midnight of the 28th of May, 2027, he will still be taking decisions.
Who is contesting that with him? Who? What is the essence of that statement?
However, what is not in doubt is the fact that, there is another higher authority, that also have till the same period to take decisions. Isn’t it?
Someone once told me that when a father called his child and was reminding the child that he is older than him, then, there is a big problem.
We don’t need Governor Makinde to remind us of the exact minutes he has left in office. We all have that knowledge.
Honestly, I felt a kind of pity for him yesterday. Reality is beginning to dawn on the Governor.
I must also talk about the panic that has hit the camp of the APM recently and the desperate measures they have been taking.
I learned that those who were recently offered jobs by the Oyo state Government were invited to somewhere around Iyana offa and they were pressured to vote for the APM.
I was informed that they were told that the only way their jobs would be secured is to vote for the Cassava party.
Let me say this, those who have been offered jobs by the present Government have nothing to worry about.
Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli will not only preserve their jobs, he will employ more qualified and capable graduates.
One of the cardinal points of his education reform is the decision to go back to the 30 Pupils per classroom policy.
That will automatically mean that we need more teachers. We need more infrastructures and none teaching staff.
So, why would someone who requires more teachers decrease the numbers on ground in the first place? It doesn’t make sense.
Not only that, Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli will ensure adequate and timely approval for the release of monthly running grants for our public primary and secondary schools and that brings me to another absurd information I received yesterday.
I was informed that Secondary schools Principals and Vice Principals were invited and asked to contribute money for the renovations of TESCOM Zonal offices.
Imagine that!
Deny it or not. We have the information and those affected also know that the invitation was extended to them and the absurd request passed to them.
What manner of absurdity is that? Where are the School Principals and Vice Principals expected to bring the money for the renovations of the TESCOM Zonal offices from? So much for a free Education policy.
Let me round up by saying this. The Governor and his people have become so embittered and desperate.
They have become so irritable and sometimes unpredictable.
You have to mind yourself around them. On a daily basis, they are smelling and seeing defeat drawing nearer and they can not fathom the consequences of exiting office.
I was told that Governor Makinde had a meeting with Local Government Chairmen on Monday and he was very livid with the Chairmen from Oke-Ogun.
He accused them of watching while Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli was campaigning and gaining grounds at Oke-Ogun and I asked, what should they have done? Start a fight or what?
Sola Abegunde.
