When Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state was selling off the Oyo state Trans Amusement Parks, I think he knew exactly what he was doing.
Who needs a Trans Amusement Parks when the Governor of the state is himself full of amusements and comic reliefs?
Even, Baba Latin and Sanyeri will have so much to learn from the Governor.
Interestingly, Governor Makinde has infested our Aburo, the Speaker of the Oyo state House of Assembly with his sense of humour.
I saw two videos yesterday after I had written the piece about Governor Makinde’s speech at the coronation ceremony of the Alaafin of Oyo on Saturday.
In one of the videos, I saw Debo Ogundoyin laboring very hard to address a Group of people in Yoruba language.
The caption on the video suggested that Debo is also aspiring to succeed his Oga, Governor Makinde, in 2027 and those who posted the video were trying to tell the public a story.
How could a young man whose father is a Yoruba man, even though, the mother is Igbo, and who is allegedly aspiring to be Governor of a Yoruba speaking state, found it difficult to speak the Yoruba language?
That is the story.
I will come back to that.
The other video was that of the Governor himself.
He was captured in the video asking those who are challenging his actions of installing the Alaafin in court to remember Eruwa.
” After about 20 years in court, someone was removed, we went through the process again and the one who was removed has been returned…”, ” … some people just wasted our time..”, he said.
He went further to repeat the rhetoric of Ifa and that God has chosen the Alaafin and ” Makinde is also behind the new Alaafin..”.
He didn’t forget to remind the litigants that they risk wasting their time and resources, as he always does.
When Governor Makinde was making those reckless statements, yes, you heard me right, reckless and irresponsible statements, I wondered where his Attorney general was.
I wondered if there is anyone reasonable enough to tell him that his days as Governor of Oyo state are numbered.
I wondered if someone told him that he wasn’t mocking the Bashorun of Oyo, the Oyomesi and the Prince whose name was originally submitted to him and which he rejected for reasons best known to him.
I wondered if someone told him that he was mocking the Nigerian Judiciary and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Egungun festival doesn’t last forever. The son of the Alagbaa will one day, still have to go to the market to buy Akara for his hot pap. ( Ohun to ntan ni eegun odun, Omo Alagbaa nbo waa ra Akara muko).
I have seen a lot of people who are drunk with power, many of them even blinded by it, whatever I thought I saw is child’s play compared to what I’m seeing now.
Who would save this Governor from his ego?
Is he going to wait until his immunity expires and he has reasons to appear before the same judicial system he is trampling upon and enjoying himself while doing so, before he wakes up from this unfortunate dream of his?
At this point, it is very clear that the Governor deserves sympathy.
How on earth could someone be proud of what he did in Eruwa to the extent of boasting about it?
Who will tell Governor Makinde that the judge who gave the verdict in the Eleruwa case at the Oyo state High Court, later rose to become the Chief Judge of Oyo state?
That the Hon. Justice who headed the Appeal Panel in the Court of Appeal is currently the President of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal?
That the present Chief Justice of Nigeria was a member of the Panel that delivered the judgment at the Supreme Court?
That by his actions, he is not only rubbishing the hard work and industry of these eminent Jurists but that he is also spitting on it?
I know that Makinde is fond of making empty threats.
I know that he always forgets himself but is it to this extent?
Well, I will be bold to tell him this bitter fact.
Whatever he thinks he has done in Eruwa will definitely be undone and when it is undone, he will be helpless and powerless to do anything about it.
That, he can take to the Bank.
I can also tell him for free that, he, himself, can not escape the judiciary.
It is just a question of time, when his name would be called and he must answer, “yes, My Lord.”
When that time comes, I will remind him that I said so.
It is reckless and irresponsible for anyone, no matter how highly placed, to continue to rubbish the judicial process.
By the time he was making the reckless statements in Oyo, cases were already filed in Courts to challenge his actions and that of others and he is aware of those cases, the Governor of Oyo state being a party in those suits.
It is beyond Governor Makinde to pronounce what the outcome of those cases would be.
When people talked about the chest beating by the Governor, I always tell them that such recklessness are Governor Makinde’s stock in trade.
Did he not boast that he would not pay the Local Government Chairmen he illegally removed in 2019?
Today, he has eaten his words. He has done that which he boasted he would not do.
Unfortunately, the Press would not follow up and report it but I am saying that he has paid the Chairmen in full.
Let me now address the issue of Debo Ogundoyin.
I have no problems with him for aspiring to be the Governor of Oyo state.
It is within his constitutional rights.
However, I have issues with a supposed Yoruba man, laboring that hard to speak the Yoruba language and still being proud of the failure.
I heard him saying in that video that by next year, he must have been able to say some parables in Yoruba!
Let me ask the young man, assuming it is true that he wants to succeed Governor Makinde, with what language will he be addressing the citizens of Oyo state when he goes on campaign?
Or, is he going to be telling them to wait for him till he gets a Yoruba teacher who will teach him how to communicate effectively with them?
How will he properly explain his roles in the litany of Loans the Oyo state House of Assembly have been approving for his principal, Makinde, under his watch as Speaker?
Some of us will ask him questions about the Eruwa Farm Settlement, the Cashew Plantation and the Ido-Eruwa road which has been on for years.
How will he explain the roles he played in the illegal return of the impostor, Adegbola, as the Eleruwa?
How will he explain himself?
Oyo state is not Eruwa, where some ” Elders” are always ready to cover for him.
Like I said, I have no issues with him, if he truly wishes to succeed his Oga but I am seriously disappointed in him that he is still struggling to speak in Yoruba and he is proud about it.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
