Before I get to the main points of this piece, I must comment about Governor Seyi Makinde’s challenge to the opposition when, he, for the first time in seven years plus, commissioned projects linked to a Local Government Chairman.
The Governor, while commissioning some projects, purportedly executed by the Chairman of Ibadan North, threw jabs at the opposition. I used the word, purportedly, deliberately and you will soon know why I did so.
Governor Seyi Makinde, in seven years plus, had illegally executed contracts funded with Local Government funds and when some of us raised issues about this illegality, he said he was partnering with the Local Governments.
On another occasion and in defense of his illegal actions, he said he is playing a supervisory role over the Local Governments, trying to ensure that the funds released to them as monthly allocation are well accounted for. Incidentally, Local Government Chairmen are Constitutionally recognized as Chief Security officers of their Local Governments as well as the Chief accounting officers.
It will interest you to note that these Local Government Chairmen all belong to Governor Seyi Makinde’s political party and he personally selected all of them. Yet, he said he doesn’t trust them not to embezzle Local Government funds and declared that he is supervising their fiscal responsibilities, despite the fact that no Law empowers him to do so.
For the avoidance of doubts, Governor Seyi Makinde awarded the Contracts for the rehabilitation of the Akesan Market, the rehabilitation of the Omi-Adio-Ido Road project, Bus Terminals, the rehabilitation of the Eleruwa of Eruwa Palace, the Ipin Bridge at Eruwa, Light Up Oyo, rehabilitation of some roads within Ibadan, the building of the Local Government Service Commission Building and all these projects and many more were funded with Local Government allocation.
Governor Seyi Makinde also removed the sum of 2bn belonging to the 33 Local Governments to pay for the sole ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University, LAUTECH.
Not done, Governor Makinde took loans on behalf of the 33 Local Governments and had to sign a letter of irrevocable credit for the Banks where he took the loans.
I think what Governor Seyi Makinde should have concerned himself with, at this very critical point, is how he would answer to the litany of allegations against him before the Anti-corruption Agencies.
Most especially, the questions around the contracts he awarded since 2021 and which has become an issue between him and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
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If Governor Seyi Makinde wants us to take him serious, he should first publish the details of the allocation he received on behalf of the 33 Local Governments since became Governor. This is not a special request, I recollect that the late former Governor Adebayo Alao Akala always published the details of monthly allocation to Local Governments in the newspapers during his tenure.
Governor Seyi Makinde should also publish the expenditures for the 33 Local Governments, detailing how much was paid as salaries, allowances and what remained for capital projects.
He should publish the details of the contracts awarded by the 33 Local Governments, identities of the contractors, the costs of the projects done, the projects done through direct labor and their costs.
The Governor should also make public, the details of the monies realized by the Park Management System, PMS, most especially, he should publish the details of the repayment of the billions of Naira he took as loans to build the Bus Terminals. If you don’t know, the management of garages and parks are constitutional responsibilities of the Local Governments.
I bet the Governor would rush to the court if he is compelled to make these details public.
So, in the absence of these vital information, Governor Seyi Makinde should really stay humble and allow us to hear words.
It fits everyone to negotiate the price of dye, it doesn’t fit the bed wetter. ( O ye eni gbogbo ko dinwo aro, ko ye atoole).
Now, to the Broadcasting Corporations of Oyo state, BCOS.
I saw the Facebook post by Egbon Wole Oladele last week. It was a lamentation about the dire dire condition of the BCOS. His write up ought to have attracted the sympathy of any good Leader, or, at least, attention.
I am also aware of the numerous efforts of veteran Broadcasters and retired former Staffs of the Corporation towards appealing to the Governor to stop further destruction of an Institution that is supposed to be a Legacy of the state.
I had earlier decided not to waste my emotions on the crisis at BCOS because I know who we are dealing with.
Someone who publicly admitted that he could be very stubborn.
Someone who has decided to go ahead with his policy of taking a kilometer of land as corridor for the Circular Road in spite of the terrible consequences of such a wicked decision on the residents of the area and despite the pleas of all and sundry.
However, on a second thought, I felt like, we are all writing history here . All of us.
Even if we can not do anything to appeal to someone who is proud of being stone deaf to reason, we will be recorded for doing the right thing.
Sometimes, I don’t blame Governor Seyi Makinde. There are still a lot of people who feels like you shouldn’t talk about his misdeeds, but, even at that, I think the Governor himself should know that when the music finally goes down, he is going to be the only man standing in a quiet arena.
I saw another Facebook post today where it was reported that the demolition of the BCOS canteen has begun.
At this point, the only pragmatic prayer left for us is that the Governor would not wake up one day and sold off the BCOS.
As I read the post, the Veterinary Land at Saki came to my mind.
I realize that the Saki Community has been fighting a good fight to preserve their heritage against the predators and I envy them.
The Traditional Institutions, Elders, Elites and different societies of Saki really impressed me.
The opposite was the case when the predators came for the Eruwa Farm Settlement.
Those who should have protected our heritage were the ones who opened and held the door for the predators to enter.
At the appropriate time, we will ask them to show us the results of their betrayal.
After reading about the commencement of the demolition of the BCOS canteen this morning, my mind went to the story of Pharaoh and the Israelites.
Regardless of the warnings from Moses, Pharaoh didn’t bulge.
Pharaoh’s stubbornness was not ordinary. It was divine and tailored towards destruction.
Even, our Fathers have a warning for the stiff necked. ( Omo ti a ba nbawi, to ba nwa orun ki..).
Sola Abegunde.
