Seyi Makinde: A governor battling for survival, by Kola Amzat

Obviously, all is not well with Oyo state governor-Seyi Makinde and he’s fully aware. The governor is like a fish completely out of the ocean. There is no doubt that he’s swimming against the tide.

Perhaps, if the hands of the clock could be rewound, the governor would have wished he never sought for second term in office, for his come-back has been a disaster.

Had he not been re-elected, at least his legacy of few infrastructural projects he executed during the first term would have been jealously protected and the unfolding series of his shortcomings wouldn’t have come to light.    

As we speak, the governor has no relationship or connection whatsoever with the presidency and federal authority.

No relationship with all governors’ colleagues, as he’s presently been abandoned in the lurch.  

His relevance in the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) where he was hitherto the vice-chairman, as well as in the PDP/ADC, has totally paled into insignificance.

At home where he’s the governor, he’s obviously no longer sure if he’s the leader of the state, as the state governance has completely been hijacked from him.

He has also lost contact and relevance with the good people of the state who incidentally provided him with a political platform to flourish and blossom.

The key political players in the state who marketed and projected him for Agodi governor’s office can no longer wait to see his exit from the governor’s office.

Otherwise, how come the governor is presently a subject of impeachment bid, with the Speaker of the house who he has stupendously enriched over the last 7 years, INCOHERENTLY talking from out of both sides of the mouth?

He continually locks horns with key traditional rulers on very trivial and mundane issues as if he has the same path with them.

Nigerians recall how he ceaselessly attacked and assaulted recently installed Alaafin of Oyo, simply because the strategic, tactful and visionary monarch chose to uphold Yoruba’s customs, traditions and cultures.

The news in the public domain presently is the governor’s resolve to dethrone Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rasheed Adewolu on account of pedestrian issues bothering on political succession which the governor would soon realize that he absolutely has no control over.                

Indeed, Seyi Makinde rides roughshod on everyone in the state; be it a traditional ruler, former governor, former senator, revered entrepreneur.

No tactics; no decorum; no strategy.   

How on earth a burgeoning, hitherto respected and sought-after governor could suddenly became a lone ranger, with no specific and notable party to identify with, starts hobnobbing with rejected politicians in ADC, squandering Oyo state resources in undue visitations to Kano, Adamawa, Bauchi, and even, FCT, Abuja on political venture practically dead-on-arrival.

He found himself in this horrible and very unfortunate situation owing to his arrogance and insolence to the president.

And very fortunate,  Oyo state and its good people are also bearing the brunt of the governor’s indiscretion as federal authority might have resolved not to have anything to do with the state until a new governor emerges.

The continual squandering of the state resources by the Makinde administration is another sword of Damocles hanging delicately on his neck.

Of course, when his tenure expires he would have to explain to anti-corruption federal agencies how he squanders the state funds on the under-listed projects:

·       Gross allegation of several billions of Loans contracted on behalf of the state and diverted to fund political activities rather than the infrastructure projects the loan were contracted for.

·       Wasting the state several billions of resources on government house renovations.

·       Blunt refusal to make available to the hapless and distraught victims, the federal government ₦30 billion funds meant for the victims of 2024 Ibadan’s Bodija estate.

·       Allegations of continual withholding of several hundreds of billions meant for local government administrations in the state.  

·       Of course, the humongous funds expended on the Ibadan Circular Road Project would not escape the searchlight of EFCC and ICPC.

Even, his preferred successor either on the platform of PDP or ADC would not be able to rescue him from the bouts of mess he’s presently enmeshed, if at all that successor could convince Oyo state longsuffering electorates that he’s capable of breaking from the past and be his own man.

We cross our fingers and legs to see how he would navigate these obvious infraction

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB),

Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,

09077509348.