OriyomiGate: Suraju Ilupeju’s Return Speaks On Disagreement between Governor Makinde and Auxiliary | By Sola Abegunde 

Only God Almighty knows the destination to which vindictiveness will drive Governor Seyi Makinde. One of his former useful tools, Suraju Ilupeju, aka Suri, whom he chased out of town some weeks ago, is back in town, and I dare say stronger and perhaps untouchable for the governor. His case has become like that of a ram, which reverses to gather strength. (Agbo to fi eyin rin, agbara lo lo mu wa).

Suraju Ilupeju, whose building was brought down in controversial circumstances by the Oyo State Government, is back in Ibadan, and according to reports circulating online, the fellow has been cleared of alleged wrongdoings, at least, based on the allegations raised against him by the Oyo State Government, which warranted the bizarre pulling down of his residential building.

Suraju Ilupeju’s reported clearance by the police poses a lot of questions for the Oyo State government.

You will recall that the fellow’s building was brought down in the thick of the allegations of possession of illegal firearms and theft of vehicles against him and others.

The strange part of the ugly episode is the fact that his building was brought down while investigations were still ongoing and the alleged suspect was yet to be arrested, let alone arraigned. I am aware that the government of Oyo State brought down Suraju’s building without an order of court!

If it is true that Suraju had been cleared of wrongdoing by the police, then Governor Seyi Makinde pulled down his building in error, and the fellow has a very strong case against the Oyo State government. It’s a case of the hunter becoming the hunted.

On Saturday, I read another story about the former Deputy Governor of Oyo State and former National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja. Arapaja is in the news recently. It is being reported that he has finalised arrangements to dump the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

On Saturday, I saw a news report that states that Governor Makinde had allegedly withdrawn his security details! That is very typical of the Oyo State Governor. Once you get into his bad books, you’re in soup, but I wonder how many people the governor will take on as we move towards the 2027 general elections.

Meanwhile, Suraju Ilupeju has been talking, and I am sure he will be waxing more lyrics in the coming days, but there is one thing he said, which we must not allow to slide.

He alleged that the disagreements between Mukaila Auxiliary and Governor Seyi Makinde started when Auxiliary refused to accept the introduction of the sales of 15 additional tickets to commercial vehicle and motorcyclist operators in Oyo State.

He said some things about Seye Famojuro, but I will be addressing that later.

Now, to the allegation about the introduction of multiple tickets by Governor Makinde. There was a time I wrote about these unfortunate developments.

I discovered that drivers of commercial vehicles, Keke NAPEP operators, and even riders of commercial and private motorcycles, popularly known as okada, have been complaining about the fact that they are being made to pay for all manner of tickets, ranging from jackets, waste baskets, and more.

The worrisome part is that most of these tickets sold for as high as fifteen thousand Naira! The case of the ticket for jackets and wastebaskets is particularly very annoying. Motorcyclists pay for these items and are not necessarily provided with the items. What is important to the Oyo State government, the PMS, and the consultants employed by the Oyo State government is the ticket!

Suraju Ilupeju has reawakened fresh discussions around the operation of the Park Management System, PMS, in Oyo State, and I think the media and the public must begin to ask questions.

As long as the PMS continues to extort these people, it will continue to tell on the public. Before Ilupeju, Auxiliary had alleged that he used funds belonging to the PMS to fund Governor Makinde’s second-term election.

How was this possible? Monies made by the PMS are officially internally generated revenues, and such should be remitted to the government through verifiable bank accounts.

If Auxiliary was able to spend such monies on the second-term election of Governor Seyi Makinde, it could only mean that the process of remittance has a loophole that we must examine thoroughly. I am not aware that the governor ever denied these very serious allegations anywhere and anytime.

Now, Auxiliary’s second in command has raised serious allegations about multiple taxations of commercial vehicles, Maruwa, and motorcyclists. The foul stench of fraud coming out of the PMS in Oyo State is too strong to be ignored.

The officials of the system live amongst us, and the magical ways with which they have been transforming from millionaires to billionaires overnight should have been worrying us. If you see the properties owned by the officers of the PMS, you will be shocked to the marrow.

The Court of Appeal had made pronouncements against the Oyo State Government regarding the illegal proscription it placed on the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, but Governor Makinde refused to comply with the judgment, battling to keep the PMS running.

Billions of Naira belonging to the 33 local governments were spent by the Oyo State Government to build bus terminals, and those terminals were handed over to the leadership of the PMS. The billions of Naira spent to build the terminals are loans secured by the Oyo State Government on behalf of the 33 local governments.

Who is paying back the loan? The local governments or the PMS?

Who is behind the consultants engaged for the PMS? What is Seye Famojuro’s relationship and roles within the PMS?

How much has the PMS made since it was conceived by Governor Seyi Makinde?

Who is taking what, since those terminals should ordinarily belong to the local governments where they are situated?

The maintenance of parks and garages should ordinarily be the responsibilities of local governments. What are Governor Seyi Makinde’s interests in garages to the extent that unspecified billions of naira were spent by his government to propagate the building of bus terminals while neglecting infrastructure in our primary and secondary schools?

These are not issues. Governor Makinde should be allowed to press the mute button. Silence is not golden here. We demand explanations because the resources in question are not his personal resources. They belong to the public.

I am sure that Suraju Ilupeju has just begun, just as I am certain that Governor Seyi Makinde will not be resting, seeing Suraju on a rampage. I won’t be surprised if something else is cooking.

However, I have to say that the release of Suraju Ilupeju at this crucial time is highly beneficial to the public. May he get the strength and courage to wax more lyrics.

Sola Abegunde.