~We are an interesting lots in this society.
There is nothing we can not trivialize. Nothing we can’t sweep under the carpet. Nothing we can not play politics with. These days, when I see some supporters of Governor Seyi Makinde throwing all manner of darts at me for daring to criticize the Governor, I just laughed. In the past, I used to return their insults but recently, I felt they deserved to be ignored or at least, understood
I adopted this style because, most of them are active only on WhatsApp platforms. They lack the courage to articulate and circulate their views against my position on a larger platform. For them, it is a taboo to criticize Governor Seyi Makinde, who, it appears to them, could never be wrong.
For me, it is a duty to the society and I will never be perturbed about their negative pregnant. Before he was elected as Governor, Seyi Makinde was once asked by a journalist if there was anything he thought the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi ever did well. To this, Makinde answered that except for the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s sense of dressing, he saw nothing else good in the late Governor.
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Isn’t that extremely derogatory? Yet, I did not hear or read that Abiola Ajimobi threw insults at Engr. Seyi Makinde for such reckless outbursts. He, Ajimobi, must have decided to handle the matter maturely, understanding the fact that it was all politics. Data boys were not employed by Ajimobi to pass insults on Seyi Makinde at the time.
It was as if he never made that reckless and derogatory remarks against Ajimobi.
If Seyi Makinde was correct about his assessment of Ajimobi, then, he wouldn’t have sustained the Oyo state Health Insurance Agency, OYSHIA, which was an innovation of Ajimobi. If Makinde was correct in his assessment, he would not have appointed a Governing Council for the Abiola Ajimobi Technical University today.
If he was correct about his assessment, we wouldn’t be having Heads of Local Government Administration, HLAs today in our Local Governments, rather, we would be having Directors of Personnel Management, DPMs. It was Abiola Ajimobi who introduced certain reforms in Local Government Administration and surprisingly, Makinde sustained it. If Makinde was correct about his assessment of Ajimobi, then, we won’t have the Mokola flyover Bridge, which, I’m sure Governor Makinde must have passed over many times.
Now, let us ask Governor Seyi Makinde, are the above listed achievements of the late Ajimobi part of his sense of dressing that he was referring to when he said the only good thing he saw in Abiola Ajimobi was his sense of dressing well?
Sadly, those who love to shout themselves hoarse in defense of Governor Makinde these days do not know of this incident, or they have forgotten about it. Yorubas have a saying that only the one who took cognizance of the expression on the face of the new bride will be aware that she is angry. ( Eni to ba nwoju Iyawo lo mo pe o nbinu). I have resolved to keep doing the right thing, not minding the ugly expressions on the faces of Governor Makinde’s lickspittles.
I saw a report by an online Medium last night. It was reported that the representatives of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Oyo state chapter, have commenced contempt proceedings against the Governor of Oyo state and two of his Commissioners. You will recall that the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan recently nullified the ban placed on the NURTW in Oyo state by Governor Makinde, but, as usual, he is refusing to comply with the judgment.
After reading the report, two things came to my mind. One, I thought Governor Makinde must be feeling intense heat by now. His cup is full and nemesis are lining up, contending with space to catch up with him.
If I may say this, someone told me some days ago that the unpalatable visitors, the men in red , are already in action in Oyo state. I felt a big relief when I was told that a retired Civil servant spent some days with the men in red not long ago. I will be monitoring the development with keen interests. Governor Makinde have always been asking that he be held accountable.
It will be interesting to see how accountable he is. The second thought that came to my mind was the Auxiliary interview with an Ibadan based OAP. Certain questions excised my mind after reading the report that a contempt proceeding had been instituted against the Governor and others. I asked myself, what is Governor Makinde’s interest in Transport Unionism matters to the extent that he decided to disobey the Judgments of courts yet again?
After all, I am not aware that he has motors in the Garages. I know that what Governor Makinde hates the most is for him to be proved wrong. Until the Court of Appeal ruled that he lacks the power to ban the activities of the NURTW, he used to boast that the ‘ establishment ‘ of the Parks Management System, PMS, is a unique policy of his Government.
In fact, his supporters and admirers used to say that the idea is novel. That is a misconception to say the very least. The late Governor Adebayo Alao Akala was the first Governor to introduce the idea and he also called it Parks Management System, PMS. The only difference is that, Akala did not usurp the powers and prerogatives of the Local Governments when implementing the policy.
Now, what could have fuelled Governor Makinde’s interest in Garage matters to the extent that he is disobeying the Court of Appeal? I think Mukaila Auxiliary provided some insights into this matter in his interview and I intend to revisit some of the allegations he raised against Governor Seyi Makinde and Seye Famojuro in that interview.
First, Auxiliary said that Governor Seyi Makinde sent Seye Famojuro to recruit him as ‘ a soldier ‘, ‘ security ‘ during the campaign periods in 2019. He said they met at a popular Hotel at Ikolaba, very close to Makinde’s house. He alleged that he spent the resources derived from the PMS to fund Governor Seyi Makinde’s reelection in 2023. He gave his own account of the unfortunate events that claimed the lives of many innocent citizens of Igangan during Governor Makinde’s campaign rally at the Town in 2023.
He said that it was Seye Famojuro who is responsible for his misfortunes and claimed that the fellow, Seye, has ambitions which he didn’t specify. I have thought about this particular allegation and I tried to establish a nexus between that statement by Auxiliary and Seye Famojuro’s alleged interest to contest as Governor in Osun state.
I remember someone telling me that the candidate nominated by the Makinde faction of the PDP as gubernatorial candidate for Osun state, the gentleman, I have forgotten his name but I know they call him ‘ Fryo’, is actually supposed to be a place holder for Seye Famojuro.
Perhaps, Auxiliary was privy to the ambitions of Seye in that regard. Whatever it is, that ambition is as good as dead for now. Auxiliary also alleged that even though, ‘ they ‘ destroyed his properties but they didn’t succeed in killing him. He went further to say that people have told him that Governor Makinde knows about what Seye did to him but he doesn’t believe it.
In the course of the interview, he predicted and correctly so, that before the expiration of Makinde’s second term, all of them would pass through many changes. Auxiliary was spot on. Today, Auxiliary is in detention at the Agodi Correctional Facility, facing multiple criminal charges.
Today also, Governor Seyi Makinde is passing through a phase that could be likened to the title of a Yoruba literature, ” Idaamu Paadi Minkailu”. ( The Travails of Padre Michael). As for Seye Famojuro, whatever affects Makinde automatically affects him. Auxiliary made a shocking revelation when he said that he used to prostrate while greeting Seye Famojuro!
Honestly, I have heard a lot of stories regarding older people who allegedly went about, prostrating for that fellow. Auxiliary also said that Governor Makinde knows that he didn’t offend him and buttressed the point by saying that Governor Makinde told the Ooni of Ife that he, Auxiliary had no problems with him but with Seye, whom he said, the Governor referred to as his friend.
It is interesting to note that despite the series of serious allegations raised by Auxiliary in that interview, none of the established and popular Radio Broadcasters followed up on it.
The story just died down with time. It is also interesting to note that neither of Governor Seyi Makinde nor Seye Famojuro denied the allegations by Auxiliary, at least, to my knowledge and no one took them up on the matter. That is one of the reasons I say today that the Media in Oyo state is heavily compromised.
Personally, I still hold a few Radio personalities in very high esteem. Regardless of how bad things are, they refused to be corrupted but the corrupt ones are in the super majority and this is very bad for our society. I have seen people who say, oh, you have always been concentrating on the state and the Local Governments, what of the Federal Government?
My simple answer to them has always been, check the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and see which of the tiers of Government have been assigned more responsibilities to make life better for the citizenry.
I always refer such people to schedule 4 of the Constitution where the responsibilities of the Local Governments are clearly spelt out. I used to tell them that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has granted ownership of Land to state Governors and therefore, I have no business looking at the Federal Government for availability of food. That should be a responsibility for the States and Local Governments.
Primary Education, Secondary Education, Primary Health Care services are also within the purview of States and Local Governments. So, if you take away all these responsibilities, what is left? Even, regarding infrastructures, the States and Local Governments have more responsibilities to carry but a lot of people don’t know this and yet, many are being mischievous.
Today, Auxiliary had been charged for multiple criminal offences but I note that the murders at Igangan in 2023 and Ibarapa East in 2021 were conspicuously omitted from the charges. I think I know why they were omitted but I can assure those who have one thing or the other to do with the unfortunate events that they will not escape justice.
Criminal offences do not have expiry date. I want to also assure Governor Makinde and Seye Famojuro that the Auxiliary interview will continue to be a hot topic from now on. In fact, it will be a topic when all of us get back to the podium to ask people for their votes in 2027.
Iyan ogun odun..
Sola Abegunde.
