Continued from the first episode...
Yours sincerely, in no particular order, here is a list of the set of
people that also contributed to the afflictions of Oyo State citizens;
1.The Electorates: These are the first set of people that are
responsible for the present situations in the State. Had at least 70% of
these electorates, which included civil servants, artisans, traders,
pensioners, students etc. foreseen the current happenings, they would
not have dared to re-elect the monstrous Gov. Ajimobi. But dear reader,
why not also consider the fact that some of these callous acts being
perpetrated by GAA did not start immediately in his 2nd term. The
writing on the wall was clear enough to convince the electorates that
they were reelecting a ne’er-do-well administrator. Money laundering,
abandoned projects, unfulfilled electoral promises, non-payment of
salaries & pensions, etc. marred his first term. Do we say the
electorates did not see all these before choosing the monster? ‘Once
beaten, twice shy’ they say… Do we say the people of Oyo State were not
wise enough to stand up and unite against the man who is only a
harbinger of misfortune to them?
Alas, my people who are now
lamenting have forgotten the crumbs they greedily ate up for their votes
and not knowing they already mortgaged their future with those of their
children. They have forgotten how they allowed their self-interests and
prejudiced mind to overshadow their sense of reasoning.
Some
gullible elements were even ready to maim and kill fellow citizens all
in the bid to return a monster to power. Face the fact, my people; you
brought this woe upon yourselves. There is no way you are going to eat
your cake and have it.
2.The Selfish and Ambitious Trio: Yes,
that is what they are! Greedy, selfish, over-ambitious and inconsiderate
are these trio who lost their minds all in the desperate quest to grasp
power. These men are not only supposed to be shamed for being
responsible for the hardship their selfish and egoistic decisions not to
concede to the other party brought on the people they claimed to love,
they should also have a fair share of the daily curses the people heap
on the poor but monstrous Gov. Ajimobi.
These three persons had
what it takes to allow for a formidable and strong opposition to tackle
and prevent Ajimobi from being reelected. Co-incidentally, the trio came
from the same political roots and they also share similar
agenda/blueprint meant to emancipate the poor people of Oyo State.
Unfortunately, their insatiable thirst for power was blinding and their
egos would not allow them to come to a roundtable to re-channel the
State from the course of destruction it had already been set to courtesy
of GAA.
If the trio had amassed their resources (human,
financial and intellectual) coupled with the popularity they already
gained in their various constituencies, perhaps, their people won’t be
suffering now.
a.Teslim Kolawole Folarin: This very bright and
intelligent PDP flag bearer in the last election, who could have been a
very good administrator of the State going by his manifesto, knew all
along that his popularity amongst citizens of the State, despite coming
from the powerful Peoples’ Democratic Party, was controversial. While
some had hastily questioned and probed his performances at the Upper
Chamber of the National Assembly for three consecutive terms, some
citizens were always ready to link the innocent Senator to Eleweomo
murder case which he had already been absolved of by a Court of Law.
As if these were not enough, TKF was victimized by some greedy party
members like Jumoke Akinjide who were equally ambitious and felt his
emergence was going to create an obstacle for their self interests.
Consequently, the embittered TKF and the crisis-ridden PDP had a
handful of distractions that could have propelled them to seek harmony
and support from the other two strong contestants.
b.Christopher
Alao Akala: The popular ‘Omo Iya Alaro’ from Ogbomoso t won of Oyo
State also played a prominent role in the present situation. The equally
embittered ex-governor had a brilliant and rich political background in
his home town which brought him into political limelight. This earned
him the Deputy Governor post when Sen. Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja became the
governor of the State in 2003.
Due to his loyalty to the late
siege and strong political godfather, Alhaji Adedibu, Akala ‘became’ the
Governor when his boss was ousted out of office in January, 2006; a
move that his boss saw as treachery and betrayal. He became more popular
and contested against his boss to become the Governor in 2007.
His four years in office, though controversial, was nothing compared to the acts of brigandage being perpetrated by GAA.
In 2011, Akala also lost to Gov. Ajimobi in an election and ever since
then, he had been so desperate to get back to power. He worked
assiduously to become the flag bearer for the PDP but unfortunately, the
band fell into the hands of Sen. Teslim Folarin. This infuriated Alao
Akala and he left the party with his aggrieved supporters for a less
politically relevant party, the Labour Party thinking his popularity was
going to grant him victory.
If only he had not left, if only he
had accepted his fate, if only he had not been hell-bent on the
ambition, if only he had swallowed his pride and remained in PDP with
his forces, if only he had prioritized the interest of this people, if
only he knew that his ego and selfish interest had brought no good to
his people… if and only if he had known…
c.Rasheed Adewolu
Ladoja: Senator Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, loved by his people, also set a
wrong footing on this matter. It’s quite unfortunate to note that the
ex-governor, being the eldest of thee trio, also played a principal role
in the emergence of a monster who is set to destroy the state he once
built and would have loved to rebuild if fate and destiny had permitted
him.
Adewolu’s tenure as governor remains one of the periods
that will always bring smiles to the face of an average citizen when
remembered. It was an era of prompt payment of salaries, infrastructural
developments amongst others.
Alas, if the ex-Governor and his
supporters had sought and listened to advice, the state wouldn’t have
ended up in the shackles of an oppressor. A round table talk, a tuck-in
ego and a less-bloated ambition would have calmly resolved this issue.
He could have sheathed his sword and embrace the younger contestants. He
could have made them see reasons why efforts must be consolidated to
combat the Tsunami of Governor Ajimobi.
‘Aso o bo Omoye mo,omoye ti ri ihoho w’oja’.
How I wish the trio hadn’t given in to their egos, how I wish they
didn’t allow themselves to be carried away by their over bloated
ambitions. Definitely, Oyo State would have been delivered from the
clutches of the monster!
3. Some Traditional Rulers: Yes, the
personalities, not institution should also bear some of the curses and
insults heaped on Gov. Ajimobi.
It’s no gainsaying that the
relevance of the traditional institution cannot be over-emphasized,
especially during the election periods. Most political aspirants seek
for royal blessings and supports from the royal fathers, some also do
this knowing fully well that the rulers wade strong influence over their
subjects. Whatever they tell their subjects to do, they do.
Unfortunately, some of the traditional rulers have seen this as an
opportunity to enrich themselves thereby extorting the politicians and
greedily negotiating on behalf of their unknowing subjects. They won’t
come out to tell the aspirants/political office holders the truth.
Sycophancy then becomes the order of the days.
Why not just
consider the sacred offices you hold, your subjects and the resultant
effects of some of your decisions on them? Isn’t it high time you eschew
from hypocrisy, greed and selfishness?
I so rest my case.
