A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a piece where I talked about an affliction called the Stockholm Syndrome and how it affects the psyche and mentality of those caught by it.
The syndrome is so potent to the extent that it is capable of upturning the sense of reasoning of those suffering from it.
It is a syndrome that pushes captives to turn admirers, sympathizers and even defenders of those who have captured them.
Governor Seyi Makinde and those working with him have mastered the art of inflicting a lot of people with that Syndrome and those who have been afflicted deserves our pity, not condemnation.
Their official ” Tantolohuns” ( apologies to Dr. Festus Adedayo), are in most cases very clever and cautious. When they see that their backs are against the wall, they just kept mute, but the unofficial ” Abobakus” are something else.
Who would blame them. Things are hard.
There is a particular story I did about Governor Seyi Makinde’s and Debo Ogundoyin’s ” collaborations” to sell the Eruwa Cashew Plantation and the Eruwa Farm Settlement.
I highlighted the roles played by some Groups within the Community and what the consequences of their actions portend for themselves and the Community.
Up till now, the Governor, the Speaker and the affected Groups could not respond officially but some unofficial ” Abobakus” have since lost their peace and sleep.
I took time to enjoy their uncoordinated and weak activities on a particular local WhatsApp Group over the weekend.
Like I said, they deserve to be pitied not condemned.
At every point, you will have all manner of Lilliputians pulling at you while neglecting the issues raised.
The best way to deal with them is to take the Game far and higher beyond their myopic comprehension.
After doing that, you can then sit back and pity them as they fret and struggle to impress those who have inflicted them with the Stockholm Syndrome.
That is that.
A couple of days ago, I came across another of Governor Seyi Makinde’s efforts at testing the waters, preparatory to his presidential ambition for 2027.
The video was recorded in the Hausa language.
The Oyo state Public Relations Officer, PRO had just made a Press release where he raised the alarm, yet again, about Governor Seyi Makinde’s indiscriminate sales of Oyo state assets.
The two incidents immediately aroused my curiosities.
I did an investigation about the atrocities allegedly been committed by Governor Makinde’s Infrastructure partner at the Lere Adigun GRA.
What I found out is so revealing.
When Governor Makinde opened the place up against public outcry, a plot of Land was selling for about #15 million I think.
As I write this piece, a plot of Land goes for a whooping #148 million.
The question is, how many plots of land is there within the Estate?
How much did Oyo state make from the place and how much goes to private pockets?
I am revisiting this matter because, if you study the rate at which Governor Seyi Makinde has been selling off Government assets, increasing the debts profile of the state and the cost of the projects done by him, you will be alarmed. Someone is trying to raise a lot of money through dark corners.
Recently, Governor Makinde admitted that he awarded the 12 kilometers out of the 48 kilometers Ido/Eruwa Road at the cost of #500 million per kilometer.
According to the information I have, the remaining 36 kilometers is included in the 2025 Budget at the cost of #1 billion per kilometer!!
There is no sensible person who has traveled on that Road who will not be alarmed by that outrageous cost.
What is on that Road that warrants such unexplainable costs?
How many Bridges and culverts would be built?
The explanations about the current exchange rates doesn’t work. Are we importing asphalt or what?
Now, let us examine Governor Seyi Makinde’s partnership agreements.
I will start with the Agbowo shopping complex.
Governor Makinde has taken #5 billion from an unknown partner under a lease agreements that covers fifty years.
Unfortunately, the details of the agreements are shrouded in mysteries.
Just like every other agreements by Governor Makinde.
The Trans Amusement parks, the Agodi Gardens, Lere Adigun GRA, Eruwa Farm Settlement, Eruwa Cashew Plantation, and many others are gone under mysterious partnership agreements.
Every available Government spaces are under threats by this Governor.
A couple of days ago, in a platform that I belong to, someone said that we haven’t seen anything yet.
He said the next victims of Governor Makinde’s acquisitions would be public schools that have unused spaces and are beside the main Roads.
I first thought that would be a joke taken too far, but how would it be difficult for a Governor who has sold out spaces around the Library Board for the construction of shops to do same around public schools?
Like I said, Governor Makinde’s partnership and concession agreements are always shrouded in mysteries but one thing is clear.
They are obviously engineered towards personal gains.
If the Governor would clear himself of this insinuations, he will do well to make public, all the agreements he had with the partners he has handed Oyo Government assets to.
Now, we know that Agbowo is gone for fifty years.
What are the details of the agreements between Oyo state Government and those who partnered with Government in respect of the Eng. Lere Adigun GRA, the Trans Amusement parks, Agodi Gardens, Eruwa Farm Settlement, Oyo state Library Board, Eruwa Cashew Plantation and others I can not remember.
These are Government assets not the private properties of Governor Makinde.
Oyo state deserves to know exactly what has happened between Governor Seyi Makinde and the partners in private.
You will note that I started by talking about Governor Makinde’s presidential ambition and the video I saw.
Everyone knows that an ambition to contest for the presidency of Nigeria is capital intensive.
Governor Makinde is said to be a rich man before becoming Governor of Oyo state but even himself knows that his personal riches are not enough for him to contest for the presidency of Nigeria.
At least, he told us what he was worth when he declared his assets. He said he was worth #,48 billion and I remember him saying he has become poorer when he became Governor.
I hope Oyo state is not carrying the cross for Governor Makinde’s personal ambitions.
I have no issues with Governor Makinde throwing his hat into the rings in 2027.
The issue I have is that if a child wishes to involve in a crime, he must be certain to be able to face and resolve the consequences on his own.
Governor Makinde’s indiscriminate sales of Oyo Governments Assets smells fishy.
It betrays a deliberate attempts at self enrichment through cronies.
We have been demanding answers to simple questions from the Governor all this while without response.
We have asked the Governor to tell us exactly how much he has collected on behalf of the 33 Local Governments since he became Governor in 2019 to date and how the funds were disbursed. No response.
We have asked him to tell us the exact amount of the debts profile of the 33 Local Governments and why they should be in debts considering the fact that there is zero developments at the Local Governments since 2019. No answer.
We have asked the Governor to tell us why he would sing letters of irrevocable credit to some Banks in respect of the monthly Allocations for the 33 Local Governments in Oyo state. No answer.
We demanded to know exactly what the Governor did with the #7 billion Loan he diverted towards the upgrading of the Farm Settlements since he has only been handing the Settlements over to foreign investors. No response.
We asked the Governor to avail the public with the correct figures of Oyo state’s debts profile. Nothing was said.
Now, we are adding to the unanswered questions. Governor Makinde, explain the details of your Government’s partnership agreements concerning Oyo state Assets.
Those Assets are not yours. They belong to all of us.
I wonder how you will convince anyone to trust you to be the president of Nigeria if you could not provide favorable explanations for the resources of just 33 Local Governments and Oyo state which has been in your care since 2019.
How do you expect anyone to take you serious when you point accusing fingers at others when you, yourself have this baggage of unanswered questions?
An Egbon of mine was calling my attention to the deplorable state of the outer part of the Oyo state Government House recently.
I told him that I noticed that the place doesn’t look like its old self and that I am not surprised.
I have been told, allegedly, that the current temporary Landlord doesn’t stay there.
He conducts affairs of state from his personal residences.
I am sure that in the Budget, year in, year out, provisions are made for the maintenance and running of the place where the Landlord doesn’t stay.
Before I round up this piece. I saw a document that detailed the itinerary for the movement of the Oyo state House of Assembly Committee on oversights across the 33 Local Governments yesterday.
When I saw the paper, I roared in laughter and asked myself, do people have shame?
Oyo state House of Assembly Committee on oversights? Visiting Local Governments? To do what?
What is happening in the Local Governments that they intend to conduct oversight functions over?
Anyway, Odun nbo.
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