Once the legislation process is faulty and not efficiently formed, it will in turn birth obscurity in the entire system. Fundamentally, It is the duty of state legislative arm to ensure accountability in the state and deliver efficient services.
The legislative arm, embodied with the power to make laws and act as an effective check on the executive and the judiciary. As expected of good legislators, it is their role to represent the people, pass effective legislation and perform oversight of government. To fulfill the momentous roles, the legislatives as hallowed chamber exercise appropriate powers, must have eloquent members to deliver on its mandate of legislative arm.
Unfortunately, the system remains what it is, domiciled by the weak, puppetry, effigy and rubber stamped legislatures. The ineffectiveness of the legislative can make any Governor unaccountable, and arrogant excessive executive power to himself, subjecting the state to a more corruption prone atmosphere.
Regardless, I don’t want readers to be distracted by the cheesy style I employed in this content, instead, you should romance the thematic preoccupation by contextualizing on the semantics.
Objects that replicate the human structurally but lacking the mental, moral and physical attributes is what define a dummy. When you visit places like mart, boutique and fashion outlet, you will see the mannequin positioned mostly for the exhibition of classic clothes.
That is how some humans exist in reality, therefore people like that find it very difficult to act for themselves. People in that category will never have anything to say or contribute, they don’t take active roles in whatever affairs you might engage with them.
Is that not the picture of what we have been passing through under the political dispensation of Governor Seyi Makinde, where our kinsman has exhibited many attributes of someone not fit? The head of the legislative arm has become a footstool of the Governor which is detrimental to the progress of the State.
Representing the constituency both in word and action remains a fundamental factor which distinguishes a charismatic legislator. As expected of a lawmaker to make laws, input and facilitate projects for the benefit of his or her constituents.
We have been robbed in the daylight with deceit. The permutations that seems to be bringing fortune is suffocating the people already. We have inflicted upon ourselves a someone not too fit in the act of reciprocating the good deeds of a hero. It’s true that we have the speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly from Ibarapa, precisely Eruwa, but are we truly enjoying the benefits that accompanied that position? Are we making use of the opportunities in the office to the benefit of the constituents at all? It should be answered by everyone devoid of sentiment.
What is the essence of the position without opportunities? The worrisome aspect of it is that Governor seems to be taking advantage of the Speaker’s simpleton by neglecting our zone from benefit others have enjoyed in terms of infrastructures among other welfare .
Many would have thought that Eruwa, and extensively Ibarapa region will benefit a lot considering the position occupied by our brother, the number three citizen in the State, but the reverse has been the case. The Speaker is not delivering has expected. Maybe we would have benefited a lot from this administration of Engr. Seyi Makinde if our son is not occupying that seat. Let’s take a look at Iseyin, represented by Hon. Dele Adeola who is not a principal officer. Under the government of Engr. Seyi Makinde, Iseyin has achieved more than the constituency of the Speaker. This government has completed the construction of 34.85km Oyo/Iseyin road, construction of the 65km Iseyin/Ijaiye/Moniya road, establishment of Iseyin Campus of LAUTECH are also on the achievement list for the people in that constituency. Now, there’s an ongoing construction of another 76.67 km Iseyin/Fapote/Ogbomoso road.
Hon. Dele Adeola is the Chairman House Committee on Land Surveying and Housing. There’s no way the honourable won’t be attributed to the monumental achievement of this government in his constituency, just like we characterized our flaws on the Speaker.
It’s obvious that they gave us the speakership position to silence us. They gave us the speakership which was swapped for the development that should come to Ibarapa.
You will agree with me that all the capital projects that have been approved in the budgets for Ibarapa since 2019, are all suffering execution. When other zones have been enjoying special treatments, the people of Ibarapa have been made to carry the cross. It’s obvious that a key role of legislatures is oversight of the budget process. It is the duty of our lawmakers to ensure that budgets are fiscally sound, appropriate and are well implemented. One might wonder why the Speaker has abandoned the oversight budget process…
On 11th of October, 2019, Oyo State House of Assembly under the speakership of Rt. Hon Adebo Ogundoyin approved the request of Governor Seyi Makinde to access N7.6bn loan to upgrade farm settlement in Akufo and Eruwa. Up till now, the project is still yet so see the light of the day. Where is the Eruwa farm settlement project that has been approved since 2019?
Fast forward to 7th August, 2020 the state government approved the remodeling of Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba. Subsequent to that, the government approved the renovation and upgrade of Oyo State Stadia and other sports facilities in phases; Ogbomoso Township Stadium, Durbar Stadium in Oyo and Saki Township Stadium were all upgraded. Where is our renovated stadium in Ibarapa? Why do we seem to be schemed out in the process? All these happened at a time when Hon. Seun Fakorede was the Commissioner for Youth and Sports.
Rt Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, as the speaker has ratified budgets of the State for more than five years, projects were executed in other zones of the State but the Governor has left Ibarapa unattended to, knowing fully well that the Speaker’s body not the type that bother with development of his constituency. I don’t know how he has been comfortably approving budgets, loan requests for the Governor and not monitoring the progress, to the extent that his own constituency was neglected.
I make bold to say that the speakership of Rt Hon .Adebo Ogundoyin is contributing no value to the development of Eruwa and Ibarapa. The speaker himself knows that nothing is working, the road contract that was allegedly awarded to his brother, Adetoye Ogundoyin, has been abandoned for a very long time.
Readers can possibly take their time to do some findings on whether the Speaker has plans for the constituency or not. Another question you should ask is, who are the think-tanks or allies of Rt Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin in the constituency? The findings will expose you to the many reasons why Hon. Ogundoyin has not been taking the interest of the constituency seriously.
Hon. Ogundoyin has exhibited the characteristic of I don’t care for long, evident in the output we have received from him so far. The constituency has suffered setbacks in areas such as infrastructure, employment, empowerment, education and more. It’s really absurd to hear that a project that has been budgeted since 2019 is still not executed till date, and unfortunately this is happening in the constituency of the Speaker.
At this juncture, I must say that the Speaker should adopt a cordial approach and bury his ego. There are thousands of young people in Ibarapa that the Speaker needs to identify with. We have many of them doing well in the various areas of focus. The speakership is just an opportunity, tide and market come and go. Where are the past speakers of the state today? Whatever you do today is what will be said of you tomorrow. History will never forget Rt. Hon Chief Davidson Mokolade Gbolagunte, the first Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly during the period of Late Chief Bola Ige, of blessed memories.
Those of you who are closer to the Mr Speaker should wake him up, expose him to the reality and stop deceiving him, let him know the needs of the people in the constituency and zone. I have keenly studied the Speaker’s relationship with the people, perhaps he always thinks he’s better than other people from the zone, I think we need to let him understand the truth of it. There are countless numbers of Ibarapa sons and daughters that are thriving and making exploits in their respective careers, outside politics. Many of them have been giving back to the communities, if they could be doing that from their personal earnings, how much more of the Speaker that is feeding on the tax payers wealth?
I hope the Speaker would openly prove us wrong and attract laudable projects to Ibarapa for the remaining years before next elections. The only way to prove that is using his capacity to accelerate all the projects that has been budgeted for Ibarapa to be delivered in earnest, and must be accompanied by other projects. We await immediate execution of the New garage-Oke Ola-Isale Elesin-Isaba road construction that has been awarded on paper.
The Eruwa Agribusiness and Industrial Hub (Eruwa Farm Settlement) is a major achievement that will boost the economic activities of our zone, we are optimistic that the project will not only transform but will also position our zone as a major supply chain of agricultural products.
However, to ensure efficient and quick conveyance of goods to intended consumers, it’s essential to have a good road network. Delaying road construction can result in the degeneration of roads into a state of abject disrepair. It’s important to understand that roads are not only crucial for economic development and growth, but they also provide essential social benefits. The people of Ibarapa zone demand a timely and standard construction of the Ido-Eruwa road.
Comrade Adedokun Sunday Harshasha
Indigene of Eruwa & Constituent of Ibarapa East LGA.
