TheNewsGuru

Tag: Makinde

  • Ajimobi to Makinde: I pray you succeed but…

    Ajimobi to Makinde: I pray you succeed but…

    The immediate past governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, has urged his successor, Governor Seyi Makinde, to face governance instead of looking for mundane issues to discredit him.

    Ajimobi advised the incumbent to correct the perceived areas he (Ajimobi) might have done badly and build on the success of his eight years’ administration.

    The former governor spoke at the weekend in Ibadan House, Oke Aremo, Ibadan, venue of a luncheon held in his honour by the Ibadan Elders’ Forum, for his “meritorious two-term service in Oyo State”.

    The event was chaired by Prof. Oladipo Akinkugbe and attended by eminent personalities, including traditional rulers, Ajimobi’s former aides and commissioners, among others.

    Ajimobi noted that it was his prayers that Makinde succeeds in office, noting that if the governor succeeds, he would have taken the state higher than he met it, urging him not to try to be perfect.

    He said: “My admonition is that the new government succeeds. It is in our best interest that he succeeds. If he succeeds, he would have taken Oyo state higher than he met it.

    “I am advising him that he should not try to be perfect but he must build on our successes. He must build and not demolish. He must build and not destroy. We have raised the bar of governance in this state and can’t afford to see it go down again.

    “We must not return to the days of brigandage and days of locust, where chaos and disorder was the norm in Ibadan. Let him face the job and not look at mundane issues. There was a time I heard he said our government officials took cars away. Which vehicles is he talking about among all the issues on ground in the state?

    “He must know that all journey begins with one step and end with one step. He must start now to correct wherever we were wrong. I don’t profess to be perfect, but he must build on our successes. Where we have taken Oyo State now, he must not take it back.”

    Ajimobi hailed the Ibadan Elders’ Forum, saying it was the promoter and sustainer of whatever successes his administration might have achieved.

    Apologising to those he might have offended while in office, especially in his utterances, the former governor said those were the things that made him who he is and different from every other person.

    Prof. Akinkungbe hailed Ajimobi for the feats he achieved in moving the state forward since he assumed office in 2011.

    “Leadership come and go, but posterity would always judge if leadership was in gold or otherwise, and Ajimobi leadership in Oyo State has proven to be in gold,” he said.

    President, Ibadan Elders Forum, Ambassador Olusola Sanu, said since the forum’s formation, “its activities have been characterised by monitoring progress in the state public service, giving gentle admonition to active political players and making suggestions on possible ways of ensuring social and political advancement of the state generally without soliciting, whether overtly and covertly, for any patronage.

    “The Elders Forum believes that acknowledging good performances will not only be pleasing to the performer, it will also inspire in-coming governors not just to perform well, but try to surpass whatever standard is met on ground,” Ambassador Sanu said.

  • Starting on a faulty note: Three governors that got it twisted

    Starting on a faulty note: Three governors that got it twisted

    By Ishola Adeshola

    If it were the enthronement of a traditional ruler, the scenario would have been photo perfect. But the nation was stunned when, the day after his inauguration as the Governor of violence ravaged Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, took a third wife at a public ceremony in Damaturu.

    With that singular act, Mai Mala Buni became the poster boy for those who started on a faulty note among the new class of governors that were sworn in last week.

    In that class was also the new governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, who made news for the wrong reason when some men suspected to be acting at the behest of the new government went to demolish the Akachi (Hand of God) monument erected by the immediate past governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha.

    The public outcry that greeted the unwholesome conduct stopped the chisel wielding gang in their track. Although the new government denied knowledge of the misconduct and tried to exonerate itself, keen watchers took the denial with a pinch of salt.

    But the medal for the new governor with the highest number of early missteps will definitely go to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

    Governor Makinde must have looked promising in the eyes of the people that elected him into office, but no sooner had he resumed office than the people started expressing doubt over his competence to run the state.

    Sacking of the local government chairmen

    Governor Makinde, no doubt, has started running the affairs of the state on a faulty note. In an attempt to make his very fledgling administration appear to be one that takes populist decisions, one of his first major assignments, to the consternation of many, was the sacking of all elected local government chairmen and the Council Development Area counterparts in the state, directing them to hand over to heads of Local Government administration or the most senior directors in their various councils. He did not stop at that as he also dissolved all boards of government agencies in the state. Outrage now trails the governor’s decision given the fact that the sacked local government chairmen were elected just as the governor himself.

    In view of what seems to amount to illegality and hasty decision made by the governor, the state chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, has since rejected the said dissolution of the local governments, insisting that the governor was not properly guided.

    This only points to the fact that he may have, from the onset, surrounded himself with neophytes in governance and political matters who may have been misguiding him perhaps to achieve some selfish ends or settle some political scores.

    The ban on transport union

    In what appears to be a shocker to many peace loving citizens of Oyo state, the governor announced the proscription of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in the state. What that means to some citizens of the state is that the peace and security of lives, achieved by the Ajimobi administration has come under threat as the members of this union may not take this lying low.

    Indeed, many discerning observers contend that the move against the elected NURTW leaders has the colouring of favouring one group over another. NURTW, they argued, has its constitution which stipulates how its leaders should be elected without the intervention of any government. Dissolving a validly elected executive without any apparent or real crisis, they insist, is Executive highhandedness, a needless exercise that can only exacerbate tension in the state.

    Rejected national minimum wage

    Governor Makinde, in a hasty manner which left the teeming workers in Oyo State in a quandary and shock, on his inauguration day disowned the N30,000 minimum wage, declaring emphatically that the state could not pay a minimum wage that had been painstakingly negotiated between governments (Federal and States) and the workers Unions.

    Analysts wondered how a governor who had not look into the finances of the state and yet to look into the books could come out to inflict such a deep wound on the long suffering workers of the state. In any case, this declaration becomes more shocking when the fact that the new governor promised to pay the N30, 000 minimum wage during his campaign stops is taken into consideration.

    Reversal of promotions of permanent secretaries

    Makinde took another bizarre decision by announcing the reversal of appointment of eleven Permanent Secretaries in the state’s Civil Service. Although the Permanent Secretaries were promoted towards the end of the previous administration, discretion demands that the new administration settles down to have better understanding of issues of governance in the state before taking certain decision. No doubt, this hasty decision is rather aimed at scoring cheap political goals than anything else.

    Political observers described the governor’s reversal of the promotion exercise as pure partisan political move, as the Head of Service, wife of a top PDP chieftain, who was also a beneficiary of the exercise was not affected.

    In all these, there are clear indications that the governor is set to pull down virtually everything he inherited, no matter how valuable they may be. This, analysts contend, amounts to taking Oyo State many years backward.

    Governor Makinde should rather take a cue from his counterpart in Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who, on assumption of office, declared a state of emergency on refuse disposal in the state as well as the perennial traffic situation in the state. These are concrete areas of need for the people of the state, which Makinde is expected to emulate.

    The expectation of the people is for the Makinde administration to roll out programmes for the development of the state; programmes for the welfare of the people, paramount of which is their security. The governor is expected to tell the people how he is going to build on the achievements of his predecessor in the areas of education, health, infrastructural development, job creation and transformation of the economy.

    The governor will do well to realize, and in good time too, that government is a continuum, and that the unwholesome act of bringing down the gains of the previous government no matter its value can only be counter- productive.

  • Makinde orders ex-officials to return Oyo Govt assets in 48 hours

    Makinde orders ex-officials to return Oyo Govt assets in 48 hours

    The Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has ordered all former political office holders to return government vehicles and other assets in their custody with immediate effect.

    This was contained in a statement signed by his Chief of Staff, Chief Bisi Ilaka, and made available to newsmen in Ibadan on Wednesday.

    ”It has been observed that some former political office holders are still in possession of official vehicles attached to their offices in spite of the fact that they are no longer in the service of Oyo state.

    ”Consequently, His Excellency, Gov Seyi Makinde, has therefore directed that all former political functionaries who are still in possession of government vehicles to return same to government transport pool within 48 hours.

    ” Failure to which the security agencies shall be directed to retrieve such vehicles from where they may be kept,” Ilaka said.

    He said the State Government would take all necessary steps to ensure that all assets illegally taken away by the former officials are returned.

  • Minimum wage: Makinde kicks as Ajimobi negotiates with labour today

    Minimum wage: Makinde kicks as Ajimobi negotiates with labour today

    The Oyo State government will today open discussions with labour leaders on the modalities for the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage, it was learnt yesterday.

    It is coming on the heels of Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s promise to workers that they would enjoy the new pay as soon as the Federal Government approves it.

    The minimum wage was signed into law by President Muhammad Buhari on April 18.

    The government sent notice of the meeting to the labour leaders following the conduct of their congress, which produced Comrade Titiola Sodo as state chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

    The message was signed by the Information Commissioner, Mr. Toye Arulogun.

    But, the Governor-elect, Seyi Makinde, cautioned Ajimobi’s administration against the negotiation.

    Makinde, in a statement by his spokesperson, Prince Dotun Oyelade, “queried the intention and sincerity of the outgoing government to open negotiation with the labour unions about 30 days to the exit of the Ajimobi.

    The governor-elect said there “is nothing the lame duck government wants to achieve other than to complicate things for the incoming government in exactly the same manner it is doing in awarding fresh contracts and rolling out largesse to fellow politicians and friends”.

    Emphasising that he looks forward to a progressive relationship with the new Sodo-led NLC excos, Makinde warns against what he described as “any booby traps in the planned negotiation by the outgoing government”.

    The governor-elect noted that he was satisfied with the level of the rapport he had with the NLC during and after the election and hope that this would be maintained as the new NLC executive assumes the mantle of leadership.

    He reiterated his commitment towards ensuring that nothing short of the interest of workers would be acceptable to his administration.

    Makinde applauded the rancour-free consensus that heralded the new chairman as a good sign that democratic maturity has always been a virtue of the NLC, saying he believes that the new NLC leadership is circumspect enough to understand the ongoing theatrics.

  • Oyo gov poll: APC challenge Makinde’s victory

    Oyo gov poll: APC challenge Makinde’s victory

    Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Mr. Adebayo Adelabu has approached the Election Petitions Tribunal to challenge the victory of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Mr. Seyi Makinde.

    Adelabu is praying the tribunal to overturn Makinde’s victory.

    He filed the suit alongside his party, whose state chairman, Chief Akin Oke, had after the result of the election, said the APC was considering approaching the election tribunal to upturn Makinde’s triumph.

    Makinde was on March 10 declared the winner of the governorship election by the state Returning Officer, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, having polled 515,621 votes to defeat Adelabu, who scored 357,982 votes.

    The results indicated that Makinde defeated Adelabu with 157,639 votes.

    Oke said: “I want to repeat what I said concerning the outcome of the last governorship election. First, I want to greet all the people who genuinely voted for us. But where there is a genuine case of fraud, of course why not go to court?

    “Do you want us to continue to support fraud? I repeat we will go to court once there are enough grounds to do so.”

    Yesterday, the APC made real its threat as it was listed as the second petitioner.

    The petition has Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as first respondent. Makinde and PDP are second and third respondents.

    But, in a reaction, the state secretary of PDP, Mr. Wasiu Adeleke, said there was no cause for alarm because it was glaring from the results across the five geopolitical zones that “Engr. Seyi Makinde won overwhelmingly and polled the highest number of votes and was subsequently declared as winner”.

  • Oyo gov elect, Makinde vows to review Ajimobi’s ‘last minute contracts’

    Oyo gov elect, Makinde vows to review Ajimobi’s ‘last minute contracts’

    The Oyo State Governor-elect, Mr Seyi Makinde, has promised to review all contracts awarded by the state government after the March 9 governorship election.

    Makinde made the promise in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday by his spokesman, Mr Dotun Oyelade.

    He said, “Events of the past two weeks have shown characteristics of targeted contract awards that were compiled in a haste and randomly awarded to empty government purse before the May 29 swearing-in date.

    “While the government remains in place till May 28, awarding a N30bn new set of contracts in one day as was the case during last Wednesday’s executive meeting was curious and an aberration, especially when debts, as old as 2011 are left unpaid.”

    The governor-elect pointed out that information from civil servants who have the interest of the state at heart suggested a grand plan to disrupt the smooth take-off of the incoming administration by mopping up all available funds.

    He said though he had promised not to probe the outgoing administration, civil servants who connived with the government on illegal and strange contract awards would have themselves to blame in the next few weeks.

     

  • Ajimobi, Oyo-governor elect trade words over alleged plans to empty treasury before handover

    Ajimobi, Oyo-governor elect trade words over alleged plans to empty treasury before handover

    The Governor-elect in Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, has alleged that there were plans by the outgoing government in the state to cripple his administration by ensuring that all monies in government coffers, both strategic and from stabilisation accounts are spent in the next couple of weeks.

    Makinde alleged that the move was to stall the smooth takeoff of his administration.

    Makinde in a statement signed by his spokesman, Prince Dotun Oyelade on Monday said that “he is aware of questionable special projects for which N2.475m have been hurriedly released for each of the 33 local governments and similar amount released to the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OSTROMA) for the same purpose totalling four billion, nine hundred and fifty million naira”

    He added that, “the money was taken from the Excess Crude oil Account and released through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

    “While government is a continuum, frenetic release of government funds in unusual circumstances is worrisome especially if it is not in the normal bureaucratic pattern”.

    Makinde said his administration has a plan in place for phased recruitment when it gets into office, “but will reject the mischievous planned mass recruitment by the outgoing government to increase the financial load of the incoming administration and stunt it’s smooth take off”

    He maintained that he and his team “are keeping track of goings on at the state banks and the civil servants collaborators and will take bold steps to correct all anomalies”.

    But, the state government said that it will not be stampeded into inactivity.

    Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogu in a statement released to the media said, “We will not be stampeded into inactivity”.

    He added that, “The Oyo State Government hereby wishes to react to the unfounded and mischievous allegation of emptying the treasury by the spokesperson of Engr. Seyi Makinde.

    “Ordinarily, Government should ignore the antics of the spokesperson of the Governor Elect in the state since the path of calumny is one in which he treads with absolute familiarity.

    “The Oyo State Government therefore for the umpteenth time wishes to implore members of the public to ignore the inflammatory statements of the serial propangadist. We refuse to trade words with him any further.

    “For the avoidance of doubt however, we hereby state unequivocally that the accusations are not only patently false but are figments of his imagination. The State Government’s earlier statement on a related matter on the siphoning of funds subsists. Meanwhile, let it be reiterated that the mandate of the Ajimobi administration will not lapse until the 28th of May 2019.

    “Therefore no amount of sabre-rattling will cause the Government to fold its hands counting days instead of making the remainder of its days count.”