It gladdens my heart to watch Governor Seyi Makinde exposed his true colors to the whole world in an interview on Arise Television this morning.
The Governor of Oyo state lied so much during that short interview that he could have lost every pint of blood in his veins if a liars’ mouth used to bleed.
For Governor Seyi Makinde, that interview was a banana peel and he stepped on it.
I will like to discuss Governor Makinde’s position on the issues of security, increased monthly allocations for States and Local Governments, the Bodija relief fund, Petroleum pricing and Agriculture.
Let me start with security. I was so surprised that Governor Makinde could not answer a very simple question put to him by the Lady who interviewed him.
The Lady asked him a very simple question, ” who do you think is behind the Oriire abduction”?
That should have been a very simple question for Governor Seyi Makinde to answer, considering his cocksuredness when he was asking the International Community to look into the circumstances surrounding the abduction and rescue operation of the victims of Oriire Local Government.
You would be surprised that Governor Makinde was sweating to provide a coherent answer to that question.
He started talking about ” classification and de-classification” of certain information by the Military.
Now, let us ask the Governor, is he just realizing that certain information regarding the Oriire abduction could still be classified until now?
I was very specific about this normal and standard military and security practices all over the world and I pointed it out to Governor Seyi Makinde when he was setting up the Commission of Inquiry into the abduction of Teachers and Pupils of Yawota and Esinele communities of Oriire Local Government. Didn’t I?
I was very certain that the timing of the setting up of the Commission of Inquiry by Governor Seyi Makinde was premature considering this very salient fact which the Governor is now pointing to, but, as usual, the Governor wouldn’t listen.
Let me use this opportunity to challenge Governor Seyi Makinde to make public, the reports of the Commission of Inquiry set up to look into the circumstances surrounding the abduction of Teachers and Pupils of Yawota and Esinele communities of Oriire Local Government.
I thought that Commission should have provided him with whatever he was looking for, to support his bizarre suspicion about the abduction and rescue operation of the victims, or, didn’t they?
Up until now, Nigerians are yet to be told that the relevant security agencies saddled with the responsibilities of tracking down the perpetuators of the heinous acts at Oriire Local Government have all been apprehended and brought to book, but Governor Makinde is eager to pass the blames for whatever happened at Oriire Local Government on Tinubu.
I am now asking him, how market? I am sure, that, even the Commission of Inquiry set up by him, has provided him with nothing to support his bizarre suspicion and he should be ashamed of himself.
I was emphatic about the fact that the Commission of Inquiry will be a complete waste of time and resources and I say this, with the greatest respect to the Chairman and members of the Commission.
I was so ashamed to see Governor Makinde blabbing about the establishment of additional Military Formations. He is still holding on to the belief that there were no Budgetary provisions for their establishment and this is a Governor Makinde who had praised the Military for giving Oyo state two out of the newly established Military Formations!
I will like to discuss Governor Makinde’s explanations about the Bodija relief fund.
Why is it, that God would be so kind to liars? Why doesn’t the mouth of liars bleed, immediately they began to lie?
The Lady asked Governor Makinde to provide information about the 30 billion Naira Bodija relief fund which his Government claimed to have kept in a First Bank account and Governor Makinde replied, ” we have gone beyond that”!
Gone beyond what?
For the first time since the controversies surrounding the 30 billion Naira became public knowledge, Governor Seyi Makinde is admitting for the first time that the money is gone!
If you watch that interview, you will see that Governor Makinde was not prepared for that question.
He started mouthing incomplete statements like, ” …it was in the Bank until…. people should ask why Governors are defecting to the APC…. I waited for them to blackmail me…”.
Governor Makinde, did you listen to yourself? What is our business with those who are defecting to the APC within the context of the discussion around the Bodija relief fund?
This is a fund you collected and kept quiet about it until Fayose exposed you.
Your immediate response to Fayose’s allegations that you collected billions of Naira with respect to the Bodija explosion was a stone face denial but after facts were provided, you claimed to have collected 30 billion Naira which was kept in a First Bank account pending when you will appropriate for spending.
Your Government even presented a Bank balance to confirm that the fund was intact as at the time Fayose exposed you.
The big question is, when exactly did you disburse the money to the victims?
At least, you couldn’t have disbursed before Fayose raised the alarm and still be able to show a Bank balance showing that the money is intact, immediately he raised the alarm.
Governor Makinde was also asked to say categorically, if any Federal Government official demanded for bribe before the balance of 20 billion Naira would be released as he had earlier claimed and to my surprise, the Governor of Oyo state eat his words like a coward on live Television!
The only answer this outspoken Governor could provide to such a direct question is, ” it’s no longer relevant”!
You will now ask, why would such an important issue become irrelevant?
Is this the man who wants to reset the country? Someone who speaks from both sides of his mouth? A coward, who goes about, spreading lies and unsubstantiated allegations against political opponents?
I also listened to our Governor when he was asked to justify his claim that inflation has eroded the multiplied monthly allocations for Oyo state and the 33 Local Governments.
The interviewer provided the figures received by the Governor within two years and asked why he just couldn’t put what he received to work and our Dear Governor started talking trash.
Governor Makinde’s position on petroleum pricing also completely exposed how trivial he is.
He kept talking about the fact that Nigerians could pay less for petroleum and a simple question was thrown at him, like how less?
Instead of providing facts and figures, Governor Makinde became elusive. He said, even, ten Naira means a lot.
He claims to know the template for the production of petrol from crude to the refinery and as a result of that knowledge, he believes that Nigeria shouldn’t be buying petrol for the current prices we are buying. Beautiful, but when asked to provide information about the template and whether the price he is talking about is significant, Governor Makinde passed out.
He said he can not provide privileged information. So, which reasonable Nigerian will commit their future into the hands of a frivolous presidential candidate like Governor Makinde?
On Agriculture, I am surprised that Governor Seyi Makinde is still proud of his misadventures in that sector. He kept shouting, ” Agribusiness”, ” Agribusiness”. What has Agribusiness fetched us in the past seven years plus?
Last week, a Governor in the Northern part of the Country purchased 400 Tractors and 60 planters. That is how you demonstrate commitment to Agriculture.
Here in Oyo, Governor Makinde had sold all the Tractors inherited from past Administrations.
He has sold the Akufo Farm Settlement to Estate Developers.
He has given a quit notice to the Settlers at the Ogbomoso Farm Settlement. He is also planning to hand the Settlement over to Estate Developers.
The same is the case at Saki. Governor Makinde is attempting to hand the Farm Settlement at Veterinary to Estate Developers.
The Eruwa Farm Settlement had been handed over to unknown investors for two years now.
I thought he would be proud to provide Nigerians with those ugly details.
Whoever advised Governor Makinde to grant that interview with the Arise Television is unfair to him.
Such a person ought to have taken cognisanse of the fact that Governor Makinde is only comfortable whenever he grants interviews anchored by the birthday boy.
Outside of his comfort zone and behind the microphone, believe it or not, the Governor of Oyo state is an accident waiting to happen and one just happened this morning.
Sola Abegunde.
