” Baba mo gba, beeyan ntan mi nje tan ra mi. Baba mo gba”.
The above is a message usually passed by a Yoruba talking drum. ( The Dundun).
It is a warning to someone who is at the risk of being deceived by hangers on and praise singers.
Since he became Governor in 2019, Engr. Seyi Makinde has continued to build around himself, a thick Wall of propaganda.
The policies of his Government are intentionally targeted at populism.
Of all the promises he made before his election as Governor, there is one he has remained committed to, without failing — the prompt payment of salaries and Pensions to civil servants and Pensioners.
This step is part of a well scripted propaganda.
Governor Makinde knows the weeknesses of our society and he leveraged on it.
Truth be told, his immediate predecessor, the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi had issues with the payment of salaries and Pensions in his second term.
It doesn’t appear like Ajimobi deliberately suffered the civil servants.
Unforseen economic problems at the time took a serious toll on the capacity of the state Government to fulfill its obligations and there was also the issue of alleged theft of the sum of over 6 billion Naira in the Local Government service Commission.
I think the main problem with the Ajimobi Government was the breakdown in communication with the civil servants and Makinde leveraged on that.
Payments of salaries and Pensions was weaponized and it became a campaign issue.
Until recently, Governor Makinde and his followers always count the payment of salaries and Pensions as an achievement!
This is very sad.
No Government is doing a worker or a pensioner a favor by paying their salaries and Pensions.
It is their right but unfortunately, as a result of orchestrated propaganda, it became an issue with the coming of Governor Seyi Makinde.
I remember that in the early years of his Administration, the first line of defense of the Governor was the civil servants.
If you raised issues about Governor Makinde’s policies, they would be like, ‘leave him alone, he’s paying out salaries and Pensions’.
You will also think like Governor Makinde is the one who introduced the 13th month salary payment for civil servants.
He is not. The present Olubadan, when he was Governor of Oyo state actually introduced the concept.
Governor Makinde also ensured that those sitting behind almost all the Consuls in all the popular Radio stations within the state Capital were captured.
It became very difficult if not impossible for the opposition to have a voice on Radio.
Gifts of SUVs and other material stuffs were rolled out and otherwise lanky On Air Personalities, ( OAPs) began to grow protruding bellies.
Fuji musicians were not left out.
There is a particular Fuji musician whose son is an elected member of the Oyo state House of Assembly.
He was appointed as a Special Assistant to the Governor and also got a gift of a SUV car when Governor Makinde gave out such gifts to those he called ‘ Leaders ‘ of his political party.
The particular Fuji musician is the same fellow who intoxicated the Coronation ceremony of the present Olubadan with the bizzare lyrics of ‘ were la fi nwo were’.
Governor Makinde also rolled out all manner of appointments for OAPs and a great number of online medium were recruited to keep singing the Governor’s praises.
Sadly, the Governor failed to understand the fact that, though, propaganda is a necessary tool in both politics and governance but it has to be balanced.
Propaganda is just like sauce in a meal.
It is necessary but if you add too much, it will spoil the meal.
His propaganda machinery succeeded in building a false image of him to the extent that, even, the Governor himself began to believe the false image of himself as being real.
He got deceived and he forgot his boundaries.
In the olden days, when warriors left for battles, their Drummers accompanied them and these Drummers not only sang their praises, they communicated with the warlords.
Sometimes, they sent warnings.
The roles of the talking drum in ancient Yoruba warfare can not be overemphasized.
Let me give an example.
When Ogunmola attacked Kurunmi’s children at Iwawun, during the Ibadan -Ijaye war, Kurunmi was at Ijaye and only his sons were at Iwawun, a very strategic station for Kurunmi.
By the time Ogunmola attacked Iwawun, Kurunmi’s sons couldn’t face the Ibadan warlord, they hid themselves inside Iwawun, while waiting for their father to come to their rescue.
Ogunmola then deviced a strategy. He told his Drummers to start beating Kurunmi’s signature tune ” ija orogun koro” ( battles between rivals are bitterly fought).
Kurunmi’s sons were deceived by this mimicked signature tune of their father.
They came out and they were all wiped out by Ogunmola and his soldiers.
Today, the drum is talking to Governor Seyi Makinde and it is sounding a note of warning, (” Baba mo gba, beeyen ntan e, ma e tan ara re”).
Since the former Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state exposed Governor Makinde about the Bodija explosion, I have noticed that the Governor’s praise singers, official and unofficial lickspittles have been working themselves up, trying to defend the Governor.
I have read a lot of nonsensical and absurd write ups in purported defense of Governor Seyi Makinde.
Honestly, if those who were writing those comical write ups were Governor Makinde’s witnesses in a trial, the Governor is already in soup
Governor Makinde may like it or not, but he has wasted resources on indolent people who must have been extorting him in the name of putting up a defense for him in this trying times.
For me, Governor Makinde walked into a naked trap set by Ayo Fayose.
One of the consequences of not having a ‘ godfather ‘ has just manifested in Governor Makinde’s handling of crisis situations.
Even me, will not jump into such a naked trap.
Immediately Fayose alleged that Makinde collected 50 billion Naira from president Tinubu, the wisest options left for Governor Makinde was to either enter into a truce with the former Ekiti state Governor in the background or, keep quiet about the whole thing.
At that point, Governor Makinde knew he collected 30 billion Naira which he did not disclose to anyone.
Worse still, he has lodged the said sum of money in a dedicated Bank account for over a year.
His ego shouldn’t matter more at that point but sadly, Governor Makinde still prioritized his ego because he has unknowingly become a victim of his own propaganda machinery.
As a result of propaganda, he thought the public is bound to accept his explanations, no matter how worthless they are.
The challenge he threw at Fayose to provide proof of the transaction was a terrible miscalculation.
Every reactions from the Governor of Oyo state from that point served as further indictments.
The worst of the self indictment is the joint statement by the Commissioners for Budget and planning and that of Information.
When you petition the Anti-graft Agencies, one of the most difficult proof required of you is the Bank account details attached to alleged criminal acts.
In the case of the Bodija explosion, the receipt of 30 billion Naira and the warehousing of same in a dedicated Bank account, Governor Makinde, out of desperation to sustain his ego, just gave out an information that should be almost impossible to access by whosoever needs it to crucify him.
I know some of his lickspittles will say that he did that to prove that nothing is hidden.
No qualms. I will call them out when such a reckless step begin to attract grave consequences.
Governor Makinde has allowed himself to be deceived so much.
I read in the news that his compatriot, the Governor of Bauchi state would most likely defect to the ADC very soon.
There is no doubt about it, before the end of February, this year, Governor Makinde would be alone in the PDP.
The remaining few Governors would jump ship.
Perhaps, hunger will stay with him to sustain the needless battles he has invited upon himself.
As much as he has been trying to attract the attention of the Presidency, he has been ignored.
The APC in Oyo state appears to have learned a big lesson from the events of 2023 and on a daily basis, they are cementing every cracks so as to permanently shut out intruders in 2027.
When a child says that when he grows up, he would ensure that the will of the adults will not be allowed, such a child risks prematured death.
The late Governor Abiola Ajimobi was a charismatic individual with very tough principles, yet, he had a number of people which he held in very high esteem.
Governor Makinde, until he became Governor in 2023, never held any political office.
He was totally politically inexperienced when he became Governor.
I was surprised when I heard it from him for the first time that he had no godfather in politics.
It is a statement he keeps repeating till today.
Any time I heard him say, ” I have no godfather except God the Father”, I kept asking myself if he doesn’t know that God is not mocked.
How could you submit yourself to people, crawling and stooping when you were looking for opportunities and after getting the opportunities, you turn against your helpers and start shouting, ” I have no godfather, except God the Father”!
God is not and can never be hypocritical and He can never be deceived by anyone.
Let me revisit the statement by Governor Seyi Makinde that he would conduct a Local Government election by May of 2027.
I can assure him that he is only daydreaming.
By that time, the odds will be greatly against him.
I do not underestimate his stubbornness but he is only stubborn because of section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which confers immunity on him as a sitting Governor.
By that time, his loss of immunity would be just a question of days and like I said in a former piece, not many people are loyal to an outgoing Governor, most especially, when he is engaging in illegalities.
Some of us are aware of the financial recklessness that has gone down under Governor Makinde.
I know he is terribly jittery about the monumental fraud that has been perpetuated by him and that is why he is presently being frustrated and desperate.
However, he must admit that he is the architect of his present predicaments.
Greed, ego, betrayal and inordinate ambitions are not a good attributes in politics.
Very soon, no one would care to talk about who caused what within the PDP.
What would be a topic for general discussion is the fact that the PDP has gone into extinction.
When that happens, where would the Governor be?
Will he insist on rebuilding the collapsed PDP even if it is no longer a veritable platform for political aspiration or he will collaborate with hunger to float a political party where he will challenge Tinubu in 2027?
He who must be dishonored must have mismanaged honor. ( ” Eni Aye ye nii te”).
The sad thing about human being is that those who are clapping for Governor Makinde now are going to be the first to desert him when the storm comes.
Those OAPs and Fuji musicians who collected gifts of SUVs from him and sang his praises will use their platforms to praise those who takes over from him.
The one who is waxing the lyrics of ” were la fi nwo were” will change the tune and sing, ” a wi fun won to o, awon ni won o gba…”.( We warned them but they failed to heed our warnings).
That is the way of the world and Governor Makinde can not escape it.
Sola Abegunde.
