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The statement reportedly expressed by Engineer Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo state while addressing students, and youths in Ibadan sometime ago that he became poor after his ascendance to the revered political stool is extremely hilarious and unbelievable. Like honey attracts ants, the assertion has generated the attention of political pundits in the state.
Unapologetically, I referred to the statement as a comic one and strongly unbelievable because gaining a gubernatorial seat is an enviable achievement that many candidates from different constitutionally recognized political parties are desperately vying to mount. Are those people wanting to become poor or rich?
Albeit, assumption of political power be it at the local, state, or federal tiers of government shouldn’t be for the accumulation of opulence or adding feathers to one’s nest but to proffer enviable development which an avalanche of people will gleefully enjoy or benefit from.
However, the reverse is the case in the politics of a country like Nigeria where corruption has been its cognomen, injustice has been the watchword among other illicit practices.
If the crystal truth is unmasked, the administration of Engr Seyi Makinde has ostensibly kindled developments in the state. In terms of education, his fervent contributions can never be underrated at any length. During his stint, Oyo state becomes the sole owner of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso. Although, the past administrations put relentless effort into achieving it but to no avail. This is a grand achievement.
Delving into the provision of infrastructural amenities, he is averagely performing well. Some of these are the construction of Moniya-Iseyin road, and the ongoing construction of Iseyin- Fapote-Ogbomoso road among others.
As a god-fearing governor, he pays the salary of government workers promptly as different from the past administration where hapless people lost their lives to hunger. In this current governance, workers are paid every 25th day of every month if I would not goof. He ought not to be applauded because it is one of the statutory duties he should efficaciously perform.
Nonetheless, no one is without his Achilles heel. Some people are tagging him as ‘Ibadan governor’ because many construction and rehabilitation of roads and other social amenities were mostly done in Ibadan, the state capital of the state.
Rehabilitation of Oluwonla – water corporation of Oyo state reservoir road, rehabilitation of Bibilari road, rehabilitation of Orelere street off Bibilari /Officer’s Mess road junction, rehabilitation of Bayo Oyeleke Street Ikolaba area, all these are projects done only in Ibadan.
Recently, the Oyo state government reportedly approved a whooping sum of N456.97 million for the reconstruction of the magistrate court and police station around Olomi correctional center in Ibadan.
The Governor’s puzzling and comic utterance which many pundits have interpreted and misinterpreted calls for proper analysis. His excellency might want to stress that his expenditure is higher when he gained power in 2019 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party than before. Of course, as a governor, many people will, be looking up to him for financial aid but not to the extent of him becoming poor.
If the governor is serious with the statement, I would not be incorrect to say it’s a political gimmick to lure people to re-vote him to power come the 2023 gubernatorial election which is fast approaching.
On this basis, I will admonish His excellency to desist from expressing those genres of statement and give a breathing space for his achievements as a governor to sonorously speak in support or against him rather than wanting to be employing an unstrategic strategy to bamboozle citizens.
Engr. Seyi Makinde should wait for his destiny to speak and should desist from pranking which people are disrespectfully tagging as a blatant lie.
Olayode writes from Ogbomoso Oyo State.
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