The late Chief Davidson Mokolade Gbolagunte of Agidi compound, Aborerin, Eruwa, was the first Speaker of the Old Oyo state.
He was Speaker between 1979 to 1983 under the Governorship of the late Cicero of Esa Oke, Chief John Ajibola Ige popularly known as Uncle Bola Ige.
To the credit of Chief Mokolade Gbolagunte, he facilitated the establishment of the Institution that is currently known as the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa.
That is a proud Legacy by whatever standard you might want to set.
Adebo Ogundoyin, son of the late business mogul, Adeseun Ogundoyin has been Speaker of the Oyo state House of Assembly since 2019 under the Governorship of Eng. Seyi Makinde.
Before his election in 2019, he had served out the remainder of the term of the late Speaker of the House under Ajimobi, Michael Adeyemo who was from Lanlate.
During the Campaign for the gubernatorial election of 2019, Seyi Makinde as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP promised, amongst other things, to upgrade the Eruwa Farm Settlement to an Agric hub.
When he said that, no one asked him how but I’m sure no one would have expected that he would one day wake up to make an arrangement that would displace local farmers from the settlement in favor of foreigners from outside of Nigeria.
No one would have thought that the Governor would conceive of a plan that would concession the Eruwa Farm Settlement to non indigenes of Oyo state.
About two weeks ago, I was informed about the visit of Governor Makinde to the Farm Settlement on his way coming from either Iseyin or Awaye.
It was the day he went to see the damaged Ipin Bridge and the Ido/Eruwa Road.
Let me quickly say this, that though, Governor Makinde promised that money would be released for the reconstruction of the Ipin Bridge the following day, nothing is yet to be done towards the reconstruction of the Bridge.
I think he initially attended a program for the Amotekun Corp earlier that day.
You will recollect that I had made series of allegations about the intention of the Governor to sell both the Farm Settlement and the Eruwa Cashew plantation located at New Eruwa and Governor Makinde has not refuted any of the claims.
Sadly, my fears were confirmed a couple of days ago.
Precisely on Wednesday this week, the Amotekun Corp, acting on the orders of Governor Seyi Makinde went with some individuals who came with Graders and they have since taken over the Farm Settlement, destroying farms and crops of local farmers.
I was also informed that the Eruwa Cashew plantation has now been sold, allegedly, to a friend of Adebo Ogundoyin.
I also got information that some equipments were allegedly removed from the Eruwa Water Works and taken to only God knows where.
Recollect that I had written earlier that the Eruwa Water Works is situated within the Eruwa Farm Settlement.
I am currently investigating the activities of those who have taken over the Eruwa Farm Settlement, the allegations about the removal of some equipments from the Water Works and the sales of the Cashew plantation.
However, I wish to challenge the Media on this matter.
Governor Seyi Makinde, some weeks ago called on the Media to hold elected public officials accountable.
Even if those didn’t go beyond his lips, he already committed himself and the Media should leverage on it.
This is a Governor who publicly declared that he was going to upgrade some Farm Settlements in the state.
He never said he was going to sell or lease the Farm Settlements and based on that promise, he converted a Loan of over #7 billion processed by Ajimobi for Road projects to cover the costs of the upgrade of the Farm Settlements.
The Governor has also taken further Loans in respect of the Farm Settlements.
Both of Eruwa and Akufo Farm Settlements were attached to the Loans.
How come no one is asking the Governor why nothing has happened at both Akufo and Eruwa Farm Settlements until now?
How come the Governor is reneging on the promised upgrade of the Eruwa Farm Settlement and we’re now talking of a sale or lease?
Is that what the Governor promised when he attached those Farm Settlements to the converted Loans?
Exactly what has happened to the Loans taken by Governor Makinde in respect of the upgrade of the attached Farm Settlements?
Why is it that Governor Seyi Makinde is determined to destroy all the Legacies of Awolowo?
If those who had been Governors before him had been selling off Government properties with reckless abandon, what would he have met on ground?
Governor Seyi Makinde, since he became Governor, has never cultivated an acre of Farm Land on behalf of Oyo state.
The notion that Government has no need to involve in farming and other businesses is not only short sighted, it is also dubious and unfortunate.
Did Awolowo not directly involve his Government in the business of Farming, Housing Estates and other ventures and did the involvements not yielded positive results from available records?
If Awolowo had the same thoughts as Governor Makinde, would we have Fashola, Akufo, Eruwa and other Farm Settlements now as his Legacy?
Before his election, Governor Seyi Makinde said in about a year in office, he won’t need to wait for the monthly Allocations from Abuja to run his Government.
Who is taking him up on that?
Did he not also promised to be exporting Oyo state maize to Botswana?
Where are the maize? Can someone who doesn’t have a plot of Land and neither is he into the business of buying maize from local markets export maize?
Haba! Governor Makinde!! Die die.
Each time I read about how Governor Makinde has been building Legacies of this and that from his spokespersons, I used to feel that those guys always underrated the extent of how cruel History is.
What would History record for Governor Makinde?
History would remember him as a public official whose said and done are at complete variance.
History would remember him as one who doesn’t keep promises to political allies and the episodes of the alliance of 2019 and the 2023 pact with Tinubu will suffice to prove that point.
History would record him as the Governor who converted almost all the public spaces and Government reserved areas to Housing Estates under very dubious arrangements and despite public outcries.
History would remember him as the Governor who went against the proposed amendments of the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration Laws by Ajimobi only to embrace the same process when it suited his purpose of fighting a personality who once helped him.
History would remember him as the Governor who messed up with the Agbowo shopping complex.
History would not forget to remember him as the Governor who inflicted the greatest damages to our Education sector.
How would History forget him as the Governor who completely crippled the 33 Local Governments by stifling them of funds and committing them to debts?
What of the unprecedented debts profile of the state under his watch?
I have not left Ibarapa East and I will discuss Adebo Ogundoyin now.
There is a saying in Yoruba language. He who lost his home has sealed his fate to suffer. ( Omo to ba so Ile nu, o so apo iya ko).
This one is synonymous with us in Eruwa. Our Elders used to tell us that the terrains of Eruwa is not always slippery during the raining season. ( Ile Eruwa kii yoo yan leerun).
The above statement is a very serious warning that connotes that in Eruwa, retribution visits when you least expect it.
Governor Seyi Makinde has done a lot of damages to us in Ibarapa East, most especially in Eruwa and Debo Ogundoyin and some greedy individuals are also culpable.
It was at New Eruwa in 2023 that Governor Makinde told the Ibarapa Communities that the Ido/Eruwa Road would be completed by December of that year after about four years of neglect.
Like the Governor, he knew at that point that just 12 kilometers out of the total 48 kilometers of the Road was awarded.
Since that deceptive statement favoured his personal ambitions of securing a second term and returning as Speaker for another four years, he played along.
Between himself and Governor Makinde, they awarded the Roads from the Eruwa New Garage to Oke Ola, Alayande junction to Isaba and the Roads within the Lanlate Campus of the Oyo state College of Education to his younger brother, Toyese Ogundoyin.
The said projects has been abandoned for years, thereby causing untold hardships to the people of his Constituency.
Today, the Polytechnic in Eruwa is named after his late father. A wonderful individual whose contributions to the development of the Community can not be quantified.
If the late former Speaker, Chief Davidson Mokolade Gbolagunte had not used the good office of the Speaker to bring that Institution to Eruwa, could anyone name an open space after the late Ogundoyin?
By His Grace, both himself and Governor Makinde has about two and a half years to complete their tenures.
I am sure that the young man must already be warming up to contest for higher positions.
I wonder what he and those propelling him would come to tell us this time around.
Would it be another story that Governor Makinde has promised them that he would be named Speaker of the House of Representatives after he becomes president or what?
Those who deceives women to bed them only succeeds once.
We already have more than enough.
However, let me tell the young man this bitter truth, History would remember him for all the atrocities both himself and his Principal visited on Eruwa and Ibarapa Communities.
Before I round up this piece, I wish to make a strong call on the Media and public affairs analysts to call Governor Makinde to accountability by asking the following questions:
What is the identity of those who are currently in the Eruwa Farm Settlement?
For what purpose and what are the deals Government has with them?
What is the status of the Eruwa Cashew plantation? Sold or not? If sold, for how much and to who?
Is it true that equipments were carted away from the Eruwa Water Works? If true, by whom and for what purpose?
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