Ibadan North: When They Shout ‘ Hardship ‘, ‘ Hardship ‘, Ask Them If They Are Not Responsible.
I saw a video advertorial of the PDP Candidate for Ibadan North Federal Constituency some minutes ago.
Expectedly, the theme of the message contained therein is centred on ‘ hardships ‘ and the insinuations that the APC, via President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the harbinger of hardships.
Albeit, the President’s name was not specifically mentioned and neither the APC but it is clear where the fingers were pointing at.
I am not surprised. I said it. Governor Makinde and his Party would want the world to believe that Tinubu and the APC are evil, while he and his Party, the PDP, genuinely have the interests of the people of Ibadan North and Oyo state at heart.
I have no problems with Governor Seyi Makinde. In his shoes, I will do the same.
A couple of days ago, he led the flag off for the Campaign of the PDP at Bodija Market.
He told the crowd that the results of the By-election in Ibadan North will be the foundation for the 2027 general election.
By that singular statement, a reasonable person should be able to distill the fact that Governor Makinde’s interests is mainly fixated on how he will maintain his control over Oyo state resources through puppets.
I guess, even, a thief will no longer be satisfied with just two operations.
Whatever Makinde is now promising the people of Bodija is not borne out of genuine love and kindness.
It is a deliberate and a cleverly calculated gimmick to deceive the people of Ibadan North to secure a favorable environment for him to launch his 2027 agenda.
Now, let us break down this issue of hardships and those who presumably brought it to town and we can resolve it if Governor Makinde will provide answers to just one question.
Who, between Governor Seyi Makinde, the Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is Constitutionally responsible for the safety and the well-being of the people of Ibadan North Local Government?
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, has stipulated the roles and assign responsibilities to the president, a Governor and a Local Government Chairman.
There are a lot of Markets, Parks, Garages and abbatoir in Ibadan North Local Government.
Who is collecting the IGR from these Garages, Parks, Markets and abbatoir?
Is it President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or who?
Who is receiving the monthly Allocations for Ibadan North Local Government?
Is it Bola Ahmed Tinubu or who?
Is Ibadan North Local Government not part of the 33 Local Governments of Oyo state?
Has Governor Makinde not been receiving monthly Allocations for the state or, Tinubu withheld them at any point?
Yes, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu removed subsidies on petroleum products and the removal definitely occasioned hardships but, did that action not also occasioned a tremendous increase in monthly Allocations to States and Local Governments?
I think the question an average voter in Ibadan North and by extension, Oyo state needs to ask the Governor is, what have you been doing with the increased monthly Allocations for Oyo state and the 33 Local Governments?
It can not be the other way round.
Tinubu removed fuel subsidies but he has also been releasing tremendously increased monthly Allocations to States and Local Governments so that Governors and Local Government Chairmen will have more resources to ameliorate the sufferings of the people.
So, what Governor Makinde and the Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government should be telling the people of Ibadan North is, exactly what they have been doing with their resources.
That responsibilities is for them, not Tinubu.
By the time Governor Makinde mounted the podium to campaign for DON or what is he called, he ought to have been telling the people that I promised so and so and I have fulfilled my promises.
I will also do this, if you support my Candidate.
Yorubas have a saying that the man who deceived a woman to sleep with her will only do it once.
It will be interesting if the people of Ibadan North will allow themselves to be deceived yet again.
It is even an insult to see the Governor rushed to gift the Bodija Market Traders a Bus immediately INEC released a timetable for the By-election.
It is equally insulting that he promised to rehabilitate the roads within Bodija Market after the release of the timetable by INEC.
Where was he and the Chairman all this while?
Governor Makinde is in his seventh year in office.
Did he just woke up from a dream where he suddenly discover that the Bodija Market Traders needed a Bus and the Market roads needed rehabilitation?
The choice is open for the people of Ibadan North.
It is Governor Seyi Makinde and the Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government who should make life better for them. Not President Tinubu.
If things are hard, the Governor and the Chairman must be held accountable.
Every month, the Chairman of Ibadan North has been receiving hundreds of millions of Naira as monthly Allocations apart from IGR and other revenues.
If I’m not mistaken, Ibadan North receives the highest monthly Allocations in Oyo state and the place should be El dorado by now.
If it is not and Governor Makinde is saying that there is hardship despite the significant increase in monthly Allocations, then, he has admitted failures.
Or, is it that President Tinubu sent armed robbers to rob Ibadan North Local Government?
Let us even simplify it. Shouldn’t the Chairman of Ibadan North be able to conveniently champion a By-election within his domain, without necessarily involving the Governor if he has done well as Chairman?
I am not surprised that he couldn’t. He is just a puppet.
Even though, Tinubu has increased monthly Allocations to States and Local Governments, the Chairman of Ibadan North is not in charge.
The Governor is equally the Chairman of the Local Government as far as the resources of the Local Government is concerned and that is why things are hard in Oyo state.
That is the source of the hardships in Oyo state. Not Tinubu.
Governor Makinde has sniffed life out of the 33 Local Governments.
He is the one controlling the resources of the 33 Local Governments.
He doesn’t believe in the existence of Local Governments and he said so.
Local Governments are the closest to the people and once a Governor decides to illegally take over the responsibilities of the Local Governments as Governor Makinde has been doing, there’s bound to be problems, hardships.
That is exactly what has occasioned untold hardships in Oyo state. Not Tinubu or the APC and the earlier everyone woke up to this reality, the better.
So, when Governor Makinde and his DON come to you and start shouting, ‘ hardships ‘, ‘ hardships ‘, tell them they are the ones who brought the hardships.
You can’t just keep blindfolding everyone.
If Governor Makinde or the pretender at the Ibadan North Local Government want to prove me wrong, I challenge them to publish the statement of monthly Allocations for Ibadan North Local Government alone for the past two years.
They should also publish the expenditures of the Local Government for the same period.
Would they dare? I bet, they wouldn’t.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
