Ori- Oke Mokola, For The Records | By Toye Arulogun

The city of Ibadan is being saturated with billboards of “Ori Oke Mokola” transformation by Goldberg, one of the lager brands from the stable of Nigerian Breweries Plc. On the A frame boards which can be sighted in some locations is the picture of Governor Seyi Makinde proudly displayed amidst the text announcing the transformation of the “tarmac” on the open space of the car park of the Cultural Centre.

For the records, the Goldberg Village which was the brand name of the proposed reconfigured recreational space called Ori Oke Mokola was a Nigerian Breweries proposal approved by Late Governor Abiola Ajimobi as recommended by the Oyo State Ministry of Information Culture and Tourism at the twilight of the unprecedented second term of the Koseleri Governor.

The transformation of Ori-Oke Mokola was to be at no cost to the Oyo State Governor while Nigerian Breweries bears the full cost of the makeover of the popular joint.

If Nigerian Breweries has completed the project at cost to the company, why the overt celebration with GSM’s picture on a project initiated by the Ajimobi government or is Nigerian Breweries playing to the gallery?

If so, the corporate giant and its Dutch headquarters need a review of its corporate social responsibility policy and steer clear of local politics.

For the records again, the Akala administration started the dualisation of Queen Elizabeth road while the Ajimobi government completed it, yet you would never find it in any compilation or compendium on the many achievements of the only government with a two term mandate in Oyo State.

Government truly is a continuum but credit should be given to whom it is due, especially when it has not cost the borrowing government of Governor Seyi Makinde a dime, except the signature of the immediate past governor of Oyo State….unless a fresh proposal and approval happened. And even then…..

 

 

Toye Arulogun 

Immediate Past Commissioner for Information, Culture & Tourism,
Oyo State