Politics
Makinde’s celebration of Tinubu’s courtesy visit laughable, says Oyo APC
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state has described the reported jubilation, in the Agodi Government House, which followed the decision of its presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to pay a courtesy visit to Governor Seyi Makinde last Thursday during the Presidential Rally held in Ibadan as laughable, childish and revealing.
There were reports of different interpretations being given the development as those in the camp of Gov. Makinde and Oyo PDP were said to have claimed that the courtesy visit was a tacit endorsement of the governor by Tinubu in what they termed as a fulfilment of an agreement between the former Lagos state governor and the five aggrieved governors of the PDP who might have foreclosed the possibility of supporting former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, in this Saturday poll.
In a statement issued on Monday and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC challenged Governor Seyi Makinde to take the advantage of the hardship inflicted on the people by the controversial cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and demonstrate the populist in him if he indeed meant well for the masses or apologize for all the fake and misleading actions he has undertaken since he assumed office in 2019.
“Rather than dissipating energy and time on seeking endorsement here and there, Gov. Makinde should start thinking about what becomes of him after leaving office on May 29, 2023, since he has failed to deliver on his electoral promises for close to four years now. Only God knows how much fortune he (Makinde) has wasted in recent times in the name of securing endorsement for a second term from every Tom, Dick, and Harry even as most of those reported to have pronounced such fake endorsement later came out to deny it.
“The case of Ibadan Family Heads (Mogajis) took to the media space a few days ago to denounce the story of the fake endorsement being circulated by Gov. Makinde’s media handlers and sponsored propagandists. For his dream of genuine endorsement from all and sundry to be realized, Gov. Makinde would have to render an account of stewardship reflecting enviable growth in all the key sectors of the state economy, good relationship with all stakeholders including brother governors across South West states, flawless security architecture among others.
“To set the record straight, Asiwaju Tinubu only demonstrated statesmanship and maturity by visiting Gov. Makinde in his office as the number one citizen of the state at the moment. And in as much as all hands must be on deck in Yorubaland to secure a maximum number of votes for the APC’s Presidential candidate in this Saturday poll, it won’t be out of place for Tinubu to pay such a visit while everything he was quoted as saying was circumstantially appropriate.
“In any case, the only genuine endorsement that a low performer like Gov. Makinde can get would be from hungry political tools usually assembled by a lousy and indecorous member of his cabinet who is notorious for constituting a public nuisance in the political space. Gov. Makinde would be able to get the endorsement of the cerebral leader of the Progressives in Tinubu only if he could boast of 10 per cent of what Gov. Sanwo-Olu has done in Lagos. Rather than dropping the name of Tinubu, Gov. Makinde should first seek forgiveness from all the gladiators who assisted him to power in 2019 only to be humiliated immediately after he was sworn in.
“Lastly, we use this medium to impress upon Gov. Makinde that the time to showcase the humanitarian spirit in him is now. Governors of Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Ogun, Edo, Borno, Kogi, and other states of the Federation have raised their voices to challenge the hurting cashless policy of the CBN while they have also issued directives to business people and bank executives in their respective states to receive old N500 and N1000 notes from depositors to ease the pain in the land. Gov. Makinde must borrow a leaf from his colleagues and come to the aid of the suffering residents of Oyo state”, APC concluded.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has criticized the alleged forceful conversion of public reading and learning facilities in Dugbe, Ibadan, into shopping malls and lock-up shops by the state government, describing the development as shameful, ill-conceived, and unacceptable.
In a statement released over the weekend by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the APC also raised concerns about the alleged sale of the modern motor park facility at Wema Area on New Ife Road, Ibadan, built during the administration of the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
According to the party, the motor park has been sold to a pastor who presides over a popular church near the facility.
Residents of Ibadan, the state capital, were reportedly stunned when they noticed the sudden erection of massive private business complexes within the premises of the Oyo State Library Board.
The facilities, built by the defunct Western Region government, had served as public libraries and archives for decades, benefitting students, researchers, and tourists until recently.
“It is a sad reality that the buildings which used to serve as public libraries and archives in Dugbe axis of Ibadan have now paved the way for the development of commercial and business structures,” Sadare said.
“The implication is that education and research development have been relegated to the background in the state by an administration that has done little to address the poor reading culture among young students.”
The APC expressed alarm over what it termed the erosion of public heritage under Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, alleging that public properties are being sold or leased to private individuals and groups under questionable circumstances.
“How can a government wake up one day and convert public reading facilities and archives into lock-up shops in the name of making money, thereby subjecting society to the dangers of illiteracy and ignorance?” the statement queried.
The party also cited other instances of alleged mismanagement of public assets, including the concession of OYSADEP Guest House in Saki and Agbowo Shopping Complex in Ibadan, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to the state’s socio-economic development.
“Sad enough, the ignoble activities of the governor and a few other characters around him as they involve mismanagement of land and other resources belonging to the state have paved the way for a surge in land grabbing cases in most parts of the state capital. There are many cases involving appointees of the governor, PDP lawmakers, local government officials, and party chieftains,” the statement added.
The APC called on well-meaning individuals and stakeholders in the state to demand accountability from the Makinde administration and halt what it described as the systematic erosion of public resources and heritage.
Over 300 constituents of Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency in Oyo State benefitted from a skill acquisition and empowerment programme organized by their representative in the National Assembly, Hon. Akinmoyede Olafisoye.
The event, held at Faith Joe Event Centre, Alegongo, Akobo, Ibadan, aimed to address the challenges of unemployment and economic hardship by equipping participants with practical skills and financial support.
The programme focused on empowering youths, students, and unemployed graduates to become self-reliant. Each participant was provided with a certificate, a Point of Sale (POS) terminal, an umbrella, and ₦100,000 as a startup grant to kickstart their businesses.
The tools and financial aid were designed to enable beneficiaries to establish sustainable sources of income.
Participants received comprehensive training, gaining hands-on experience to ensure they could effectively utilize the tools provided. The POS machines were configured with the personal details of the recipients, ensuring proper use and discouraging unauthorized transfers.
Addressing the participants, Akinmoyede who is the Chairman House Committee on Nigeria/ Mexico Parliamentary Friendship enjoined the beneficiaries to explore the opportunity for their benefit by ensuring that they use the machines for the purpose it was meant for.
He added that all the machines have been configured with the documents of individual beneficiaries which will make it very difficult to transfer to another person.
In his goodwill message, the Oyo Central Senatorial chairman of APC, Hon. Joshua Oyebamiji said comparing what the lawmaker has been doing in the area of dishing out empowerment and palliatives to his constituents, it is difficult to tag him a first-timer at the national assembly.
While appreciating Akinmoyede for his gesture at the event, former APC Deputy State Chairman, Alhaji Isiaka Alimi, Hon. Fatai Awoyoola, and Hon. Akinbode Emmanuel said they were yet to discover the magic wand being used by the lawmaker for his constant and habitual empowerment programmes.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke at the end of the training, Afolabi Kuburat, Akinropo Akindotun, Ajala Abisade Iyabo, and Grace Anuoluwapo Ayinde lauded the lawmaker for giving them the opportunity to be self-reliant at this time when Nigerians are facing economic hardship.
The House of Representatives member representing Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency Oyo State, Hon. Prince Akinmoyede Olafisoye Wasiu has initiated another skill acquisition and capacity-building training for no fewer than 300 members of his constituency.
The initiative which is being organized in partnership with Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan is part of a strategic effort by the lawmaker to foster rural development of cooperative for their economic emancipation and break the shackles of poverty so as to alleviate the impact of the high cost of living among the people in Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency he represents.
The training programme is coming up on Monday 18th November, 2024 at Faith Joe Event Centre hall. Alegongo, Ibadan by 8.00am.
A statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the lawmaker, Alimi Abdullahi stated that the capacity-building is designed to equip participants with essential entrepreneurial skills with a view to building sustainable livelihoods and improve the quality of lives of the people of Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency.
All the participants for the training are expected to be at the venue by 8am so as not to miss any part of the training.
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