By: Sola Abegunde
I have carefully perused the story written by one Gbenga Akanni who claimed to have written from Ologu-Eru in Ido Local Government Area of Ibadan and not only did his piece provided me with amusements, it also made me wonder how far some people have decided go to display ignorance and sycophancy, while thinking that they are either defending Governor Makinde or seeking his attention. As a governor, if anyone dares to defend me and in the process, exposed my flanks as Akanni did, if he were my media aide, I will sack him immediately. The gist of Akanni’s opinion piece is my piece titled:’ Eleruwa: So, Governor Makinde Could Be Ashamed Of His Failures?’ To Gbenga Akanni, it was an audacity for me to say that Governor Makinde was ashamed. In defense of his position, he felt that Governor Makinde’s apologies for failing to complete a 48 kilometers stretch of road rehabilitation between Ido and Eruwa in six years after several failed promises is worthy of praise rather than condemnation. To him, such a laughable gesture is not an admittance of failure but news that should have elicited joy and happiness. I have no problems with Gbenga Akanni for his warped opinion but I have issues with him when he felt that I was perhaps rude to have said that the governor was ashamed.
It was easy for Gbenga Akanni to overlook the points I raised to the effects that in six years of Makinde’s government, he has not commissioned a project in Eruwa till the time I am writing this piece. He deliberately overlooked the fact that I said that all the road rehabilitation contracts Governor Makinde awarded in Eruwa have been abandoned and I have been saying this for years. He chose to look the other way when I said that the governor was wrong to have performed the handing over ceremony of the Eruwa Farm Settlement to whoever he handed it over to when he knew that the documentation were yet to be completed as he surprisingly said that day. Akanni overlooked or deliberately avoided to speak to the fact that I alleged that Governor Makinde was not straightforward about the Ido/Eruwa road ab initio. He flagged off the road in 2023 and promised to complete by December of that year, whereas, at the time, he knew inside of him that only 12 out of 48 kilometers were awarded. Last year, the governor admitted to awarding just 12 kilometers and made further promises which he also failed to keep. So, why shouldn’t he be ashamed?
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At Igangan, some years ago, Governor Makinde went AWOL while suspected Fulani herders attacked the town and many lives were lost. It took the intervention of Sunday Igboho for peace to return to the town at the time. After the unfortunate incident, Governor Makinde went to the place and apologized but did that apology bring back those who died? Leaders should be proactive to avoid a situation where they would have to tender apologies for damages done but which are avoidable. I have gone through Mr. Akanni’s misinformed opinion about the issue of Samuel Adebayo Adegbola. I am from Eruwa. Not only that, I am very familiar with the circumstances surrounding the case of the Eleruwa and Adegbola himself cannot deny those facts. I also have copies of all judgments delivered in the case of the Eleruwa and I have read the certified true copies times without number. I also have the 1957 Eleruwa of Eruwa Chieftaincy Declaration which states that the two Ruling Houses of Akalako and Olaribikusi shall occupy the throne on rotational basis. I am aware that the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2019 agreed with the Plaintiffs that it was the turn of the Olaribikusi Ruling House to produce the next Eleruwa and directed that the Kingmakers should proceed to select amongst the three Princes from Olaribikusi Ruling House. I am aware that the name of Samuel Adebayo Adegbola is not amongst the three names so listed, having been found to be an interloper.
On the strength of the above, I will pardon his ignorance to some extent but all the same I must chide him to avail himself of facts before jumping into issues around legal conflicts. Akanni’s reference to the judgment of the Supreme court regarding Local Government Autonomy is not only laughable it exposes his level of sycophancy and mediocrity. Yes, Governor Makinde made some reckless statements about that judgment. Question is, has that judgment been overturned by any court of law? The conflicts around the illegal selection of Samuel Adebayo Adegbola as the Eleruwa of Eruwa by Makinde are before the court and I urge Gbenga Akanni to go and stand as witness for Adegbola if he is so pained about my opinions of him and is eager to prove a point. I can see that Gbenga Akanni would expect us to dance and clap for the Emperor even if he brought an Ijesa man to be the Eleruwa. There are a lot of jargon I would not waste my time to respond to in Gbenga Akanni’s write up but I must say that I was surprised that those who chose to defend Governor Makinde have not upped their game at allYou can close your eyes and you will still get their weaknesses. How on earth will anyone conclude that just because the Sierra Leonian President claimed that he visited Oyo state to study the Fashola Farm Settlement, then, we are in El dorado? The Sierra Leonian President has come and gone.
Regardless of whatever he said, whether they were genuine or not, has it stopped our reliance on the Northern part of the country for the supplies of peppers, tomatoes, onions, beans, maize and yams? If the northern traders sneeze today, are we not going to catch cold down here? Did it not happen shortly before the last Ileya period when a particular Bridge linking the South to the North had problems and lorries carrying these stuffs could not cross the river? Are food stuffs not cheaper in Niger, Nassarawa and some Northern parts of the Country today, compared to Oyo state where we have more arable land mass to the exclusion of Niger state that has more land? Governor Makinde himself called the Press and said, please, hold me accountable but Gbenga Akanni and other lickspittles would not let us comply with the demands of the Governor. Or has the Governor changed his mind?
and then