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OPINION | Oyo: A Government Without An Efficient And Proper Coordination In Its Programmes | By Akeem Adebiyi
One is appalled by the series of drama being acted by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state and his political appointees in this dispensation. Right from the inception of this administration, it has always been one day, one drama, to the extent that the governance in the state is now a theatre centre or cinema.
Irked by the discordant tunes being regularly played by the Governor and his appointees, one should speak up to enlighten the lots as a noble critic that means well for the greatness of this pacesetter state. One could reason that this unfortunate trend was caused by the governor’s inability to differentiate business of governance from that of politicking. Two, the idea of resorting to mudslinging and calumny against former Governor Abiola Ajimobi with an intent to discredit his administration and obliterate whatever notable achievements recorded by same from the minds of citizens was being pursued with Vigour by the present government.
The objective is to proclaim Governor Makinde led government as comparatively better in terms relevance to citizens’ needs.
Management of secondary schools in Oyo state by the former administration was remarkably innovative through the introduction of the Schools’ Governing Boards (SGB)
The primary or basic function of the SGB was to manage the education levy of N3,000.00 per session being statutorily paid in by the students. Purchase of instructional materials, repair of school’s infrastructure and implementation of co- curricular activities were effectively funded from the levy, under the strict supervision of the SGB. Governor Seyi Makinde took a long drawn look at the SGB and pronounced same dissolved. Perhaps,after receiving correct briefs on the matter, he rescinded his decision by reinstating the SGB.
Also, the issue of Moniya – Iseyin road project which was awarded by Governor Abiola Ajimobi led administration caught the attention of Governor Makinde. He queried the cost of the project which was put at N7 billion. He condemned the cost as outrageous and asserted that the contractor and Ajimobi must have engaged in some underhand dealings before arriving at the figure.
Hence, he invoked a stoppage order and pledged that the project shall be re awarded at a lesser cost. Just of recent, Governor Seyi Makinde led government re-awarded the ‘Moniya – Iseyin road contract’ at a cost of N9.9 billion, an upward variation of N9 .9 billion above the original cost of the project.
The issue of Ibadan circular road project is still raging like a wild fire. The Governor consumed by midas lure or fires of hatred against former Governor Abiola Ajimobi, authorised the contractor handling the project to quit the site. He hinged his action on the prohibitive cost of the project and its inappropriateness in terms of utility factor for the citizens in the present circumstance. Within 24hrs, he rescinded his decision. One could reason that his initial action was not well thought out. He even cast aspersions on the person of the contractor handling the project. This has become a subject of litigation now.
In retrospect, Hon. Kehinde Ayoola, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources in Oyo state, once accused former Governor Ajimobi to have illegally acquired hundreds of hectares of government farm land for his personal use during his reign as the state helms man. Within 48 hours, he retracted his statements with shameless modifications.
Also, the state Information Commissioner, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, once boasted that the revenue target of Seyi Makinde led administration is N20 billion monthly. This position contradicts that of John Adeleke, the state Revenue Board Chairman and authority on the matter, who put it at N4 billion per month (N48 billion per annum).
In the same vein, John Adeleke stirred an hornet’s nest few days ago through his utterances on the conflicting revenue figures that accrues to the state. He posited that the state government raked in a sum of N2.7 billion for October, 2019 as against the sum of N1.3 billion which was the peak attained by the last administration. His position attracted public outcry and widespread criticisms from the stakeholders. The consensus of opinions later put the monthly revenue under former administration at N2.3 billion and not the erroneous figure of N1.3 billion claimed by John Adeleke.
Within 24 hours of the raging controversy, Adeleke retraced his steps and came up with another set of figures. Now, it was N1.7 billion for the former administration and N2 billion for the present administration. In another breadth, Adeleke concluded that the figures are not stable for now.
The heinous contradictions as observed in the serial official pronouncements of Governor Seyi Makinde and his co- travellers in government smacks of infantilism, un seriousness, abuse of privileges and executive recklessness in the management of human affairs to say the least, it is a clear demonstration of absence of an efficient coordination among the various levels of the executive arm of government and loss of focus in the art of governance.
Regrettably, the unfortunate and obvious consequences are policy Summersault, loss of public trust, hope and confidence in the government. That is the level of shame that can be attracted by the government which engages itself in self contradictions and multiple talks laced with falsehoods. In this connection, appropriate seminar/workshop must be conducted for all the political office holders presently in the saddle to correct this anomaly.
Akeem Adebiyi writes from Ibadan, Oyo state.
Growing support has continued to trail a youthful politician and technology advocate, Hon. Khalil Mustapha Adegboyega, popularly known as Repete, as many youths in Ibadan North Federal Constituency expressed confidence in his leadership style and vision for development.
Across several communities within the constituency, residents, particularly students, artisans and young professionals, described Repete as one of the emerging political figures with strong grassroots appeal and a passion for youth empowerment.
Supporters said his growing popularity stems from his consistent advocacy for innovation, entrepreneurship and skills development aimed at addressing unemployment and creating opportunities for young people.
As an engineer and technology enthusiast, Repete is also said to possess a deep understanding of the evolving digital economy and the need to position youths for global competitiveness.
Many of his supporters noted that his approach to leadership focuses on practical solutions, mentorship and capacity-building initiatives capable of helping young people become self-reliant and economically productive.
Some community stakeholders who spoke on his rising profile said his humility, accessibility and relationship with the grassroots have continued to endear him to many residents within the constituency.
They added that Repete’s engagement with youths and community groups reflects his commitment to inclusive governance and people-oriented representation.
Observers within the constituency also maintained that the increasing support for the politician reflects a growing desire among residents for a new generation of leaders driven by innovation, competence and accountability.
According to them, many young people see Repete as a symbol of hope and progressive leadership capable of contributing meaningfully to the development of Ibadan North Federal Constituency.
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday held a high-level strategic meeting with the Oyo State chapter of the party as part of efforts to reposition the APC for victory and prevent internal crisis ahead of the polls.
The development was first scooped by OYOINSIGHT.COM which quoted multiple party sources familiar with the closed-door deliberations.
Sources disclosed that the meeting, held in Abuja, focused largely on a consensus arrangement being considered by stakeholders of the party in Oyo State, in line with political templates reportedly being adopted in Lagos and Ogun states ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Party insiders said the move was aimed at strengthening unity within the fold of the opposition party in the state, minimising rancour during the primaries and presenting a formidable front against rival parties in 2027.
It was further gathered that some members of the state executive committee may have been subtly informed about preferred consensus candidates being considered for elective positions across the state.
Though details of the deliberations were still sketchy as of press time, sources hinted that the national leadership stressed the need for cohesion, discipline and strategic alignment among stakeholders to improve the party’s electoral fortunes in Oyo.
Those at the meeting included the Oyo APC Chairman, Moses Alake Adeyemo; the state secretary, Fatai Adesina Adeniyi; the Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare; the Organising Secretary, Aderemi Adepoju; and the Legal Adviser, Sunday Aborisade.
Others were the Women Leader, Adekemi Opatunde; the Youth Leader, Olalekan Oladejo; Joshua Oyebamiji; Tunde Oloyede; Sunday Babalola; Joseph Omoniyi; and Mojeed Adebayo.
As of the time of filing this report, the party had yet to issue an official statement on the outcome of the meeting.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, on Monday assured aspirants and party members that the party would conduct transparent, peaceful and credible direct primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeyemo declared that no aspirant would be victimised or denied a level playing field, stressing that the party leadership remained committed to internal democracy and progressive ideals.
The former deputy governor spoke while receiving members of the APC Screening and Appeal Committees deployed from the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja at the APC Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
He disclosed that although the party initially explored consensus arrangements across elective positions, prevailing realities indicated that direct primaries would be conducted in some areas, including the governorship contest.
Adeyemo said the party had already put necessary structures in place to ensure a hitch-free exercise capable of strengthening unity within the APC.
He said: “We set machineries in motion for us to achieve the aim of consensus across board but reports available to me indicate that we would have to go by the second option which is direct primary in certain cases including the governorship ticket.
“To this end, we shall work towards organising free, fair and credible exercise in all the affected areas even as we cannot rule out the possibility of some aspirants having a rethink and supporting the consensus arrangement as necessary.
“Where we have more than an aspirant, Abuja would send people to conduct primaries and we at the state level would provide the required support to make everything work out in the interest of our great party.”
The APC chairman explained that all registered party members would participate fully in the exercise at their respective wards on dates to be announced by the National Secretariat.
According to him, affirmation would be adopted in areas where consensus candidates emerge, while voting would be conducted wherever direct primaries become necessary.
“For consensus, members will lend their voices for affirmation while voting will be done in the cases of direct primary,” he added.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Screening Committee and former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Taofiq AbdusSalam, assured party faithful that the committee would carry out a thorough, transparent and unbiased screening process.
He said only eligible aspirants would be cleared to participate in the primaries and eventually fly the APC flag in the forthcoming elections.
Other members of the Screening Committee are Kamal Sanusi (Secretary), Smart Oluwole, Tunde Kolade and Olabamiji Agunloye.
Members of the Screening Appeal Committee are Jibola Oduwole (Chairman), Abimbola Jack (Secretary) and Jelil Jimoh.
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