Just like it did with a Local Government Chairman in Oyo zone last year, the Oyo state House of Assembly, last week, suspended the Chairman of Saki East Local Government over allegations of “gross misconduct.”
Before I proceed, I have to say that I have a problem with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the powers it gave the House of Assembly in certain areas.
For example, the Constitution gives the Assembly the power to determine what it deemed as misconducts, even, when dealing with important matters like impeachments and this lacuna have been weaponized on several occasions.
Even if the Assembly engages in misconducts in the process of determining if the victim has misconducted themselves, our Constitution says it is well and good.
I do not think the framers of the Constitution averred their minds to the fact that we could one day wake up and see an Assembly which has been completely captured by the Executive, such as we have in many States of the Federation now.
Sadly, it is happening, even at the Federal level.
Back to Saki. I see that one of the allegations against the suspended Local Government Chairman is the fact that he failed to give accounts for certain moveable equipment and the Local Government Grader was specifically mentioned.
I have carefully studied this particular leg of the allegations and I don’t seem to understand what the Oyo state House of Assembly meant by ” accountability” in the context of the allegation.
I am sure that the Grader in question is the one bought since the Administration of the late Governor Alao Akala because Governor Makinde never bought one since he became Governor.
From my knowledge as a former Supervisory Councilor for Works in Ibarapa East Local Government, the Council Grader is deployed, only, for the grading of Roads within the Local Government and for no costs to the public.
That is how it has always been for years.
The word ” accountability” is synonymous with transactions.
In other words, the Oyo state House of Assembly, when raising the issue of accountability with regards to the Grader in Saki East, must have admitted that the Council Grader is being used for business purposes.
I am not surprised at all. The Oyo state House of Assembly just confirmed the allegations I have been raising all this while.
Local Government Graders across the 33 Local Governments are being deployed for all manner of businesses and transactional purposes.
Unfortunately, Local Government roads across the 33 Local Governments are the worse for it.
The Graders from other Local Governments have been deployed to state awarded rehabilitation roads under Governor Makinde times without number.
I have raised issues about the indiscriminate sales of Local Governments and state assets by Governor Makinde.
Recently, I raised the issue of the sales of ten (10) numbers of the refuse trucks bought during the Akala regime and which were sold for a paltry #70 million.
The fire incident at Alesinloye and the failure of the Makinde Government to respond timely and effectively reawakened the questions about what has happened to the fire fighting trucks bought by Akala.
I got a report recently and I’m still working on the said report.
It was alleged that the drilling machine bought by Akala for Ibarapa East has been sold.
If the report is confirmed, I won’t be surprised if the drilling machines across the 33 Local Governments have suffered same fate.
If you look at the petition treated by the House of Assembly, which resulted in the suspension of the chairman, you will note that the chairman had issues with some stakeholders within the party.
I’m sure that the chairman had problems because he has been ” chopping alone” without taking care of some individuals.
My takeaway from the scenario at Saki East is the fact that we, as citizens of Oyo state have given Governor Makinde too much laxity.
The Governor can’t be selling off everything that caught his fancy and you would think some Local Government Chairmen won’t follow his footsteps. ( Owu iya gbon, lomo a ran).
I think it is high time the Media woke up and began to interrogate the situations in our Local Governments.
What has happened to the Graders purchased during the regime of Akala? What has happened to the fire fighting vehicles and the refuse trucks? Where are the drilling machines and what has happened to the tractors purchased by the late Governor Ajimobi?
I do not attach any importance to the action of the Oyo state House of Assembly.
Just like the other chairman who waxed the ” were wo ni o m’Aduke” lyrics, this one will also be left off the hook but, I will challenge the Oyo state House of Assembly to prove me wrong and there by, perhaps, earn my respect.
The oversight functions of the Oyo state House of Assembly is not limited and must not be limited to the suspension of some erring Local Government Chairmen.
The present House of Assembly, under Adebo Ogundoyin has broken a record.
For now, I do not know whether to conclude that the record is positive or negative but the ball is in the court of the Oyo state House of Assembly to pick up the gauntlet and convince the public that the record is positive.
No doubts, the present House of Assembly has won itself the honor or dishonor, of being the House that has approved the highest loan requests from a Governor.
The debts profile of Oyo state has soared to a point that only God, Governor Makinde and maybe, the Oyo state House of Assembly could tell the exact amount being owed by Oyo state.
When Governor Makinde took over as Governor in 2019, the amount of debts left by the Abiola Ajimobi Government, plus what that Government met on ground was not up to #150 billion.
Just last week, Adebo Ogundoyin and the Oyo state House of Assembly approved another request from Governor Makinde to borrow another #200 billion, to add to the only God knows how much he had taken as loans.
The Oyo state House of Assembly is saddled with the dual responsibilities of approving or disapproving loan requests and conducting oversights on the performance of the loans approved.
I am challenging the House of Assembly, to, as a matter of urgency, provide the public with the reports of oversights conducted on the previous loans taken by Governor Makinde.
In fact, the House of Assembly must give the total amount of loans it has approved, give a breakdown of the loans and provide information on the performance of the loans against the attached projects because, every loan requests must be accompanied by a project attached to it.
We can’t just continue to approve loans recklessly when the Governor has refused to provide details of exactly what has been happening to the previous loans taken.
In fact, Governor Makinde has refused to tell the citizens of Oyo state the exact amount of the debts of the state.
I think the Governor is ashamed to mention the figures.
Despite and in spite of all the promises he made before becoming Governor, Oyo state is not only unable to pay salaries without waiting for the monthly Allocations from Abuja, Governor Makinde has equally run the state into monumental debts, a volume of which he, himself is ashamed to pronounce.
I will also challenge the Oyo state House of Assembly to give us the details of the oversight functions on the 33 Local Governments.
The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, by section 7 thereof, has given the House of Assembly the responsibility to perform oversight functions on the Local Governments.
What is happening in our Local Governments?
Why is developments in the 33 Local Governments in comatose?
Is it that monthly Allocations are not been released for the 33 Local Governments of Oyo state?
Why is it that the Governor has been directing 32 Local Governments to funnel their monthly Allocations to Ibadan North Local Government?
Is the Oyo state House of Assembly aware of this anomaly?
Is it true that the 33 Local Governments are in debts to the extent that letters of irrevocable credits have been issued by the Governor on their Bank accounts?
What role did the House of Assembly played when Local Governments funds were polled to build the Local Government Service Commission Building?
How is it reasonable to believe that Local Governments who have not been embarking on any reasonable projects would still be indebted to Banks despite collecting increased monthly Allocations?
These are issues the House of Assembly should concern itself with and not to go after some misconducts by one Local Government Chairman.
I have said this before. I will repeat it here.
I think Debo Ogundoyin should be more concerned about the abandoned road projects in Eruwa and Lanlate.
The roads at the Eruwa New garage – Oke-ola, Alayande junction -Isaba junction and the Lanlate College of Education were allegedly awarded to his younger brother.
What oversights has the Oyo state House of Assembly performed on this abandoned projects?
An usurper, Samuel Adebayo Adegbola is currently at the Eruwa Palace, parading himself as the Eleruwa of Eruwa or is it the Alajobo of Ajobo?
The fellow was illegally paid the sum of #30.6 million in 2019 from the coffers of the Ibarapa East Local Government.
The said amount of #30.6 million was a doubled pay for his salaries and allowances for the period he was legally suspended as the Eleruwa by Ajimobi.
The Supreme Court held that his appointment and selection as Eleruwa was null and void.
When the Courts said that an action is null and void, it means such an action never happened.
In other words, Adegbola was not an Eleruwa during the period for which a double arrears of salaries and allowances were paid to him.
His illegal renomination as Eleruwa, which is now a subject of fresh litigation could not avail him because, even the illegal renomination commenced on the day it was approved by Governor Makinde in 2025 and didn’t start retroactively.
What will Debo Ogundoyin and the House of Assembly do about this illegalities?
The present House of can not and will never earn my respect because I am confident that the House will dare not venture into the above quoted areas.
They are existing at the mercy of the Emperor and would dare not go beyond their boundaries.
May the Chairman of Saki East enjoy the holidays and while doing so, he might need to borrow some leaf from the ” iya Laduke” coroner.
After all, ” were wo ni o m’ Aduke”?
Even, the Emperor himself bows and trembles at the right place.
“I do not have a godfather”. A godmother is ok.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
