Re: Approval of Funds for Several Projects, Seyi Makinde’s Greek Gifts | By Sola Abegunde

I have said it times without number, Governor Seyi Makinde is a master in the art of manipulations.

This evening, I read several stories of the approval of funds for several projects across Oyo state including Ibarapa and after carefully studying the approvals and the attached projects, I said to myself, this man, Governor Seyi Makinde would think he is very wise and the rest of us are fools.

I pictured him in the room where he and perhaps, Seye Famojuro were plotting their counter moves to the multi dimensional pressures facing the Governor.

Governor Makinde needs something concrete enough to divert public attention from the woes, pains and cries he has continued to cause thousands of residents of the Circular Road whose properties are being demolished by his Government.

He wouldn’t want the Press, as compromised as majority of them are, to be left with nothing to discuss but his series of failures concerning his inordinate ambition to have the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to himself.

It will be demeaning and a deflation of his highly valued ego, for the Press to be discussing his rumoured plans to defect to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, a political party he and some of his colleagues in the PDP had given several unprintable appellations when it was adopted as the Coalition platform.

He wouldn’t want to have to discuss the disaster he and a few others have brought to the PDP.

To Governor Seyi Makinde, the approval of funds for several projects simultaneously would give his compromised Press something to discuss away from the pressure that he is currently facing .

He must have seen the step as a masterstroke.

Only a gullible individual will not see into Governor Makinde’s obvious tricks.

Apart from the fact that the approval of funds for several projects simultaneously would provide some leverage to cover the pressure the Governor is having from his misadventures in the polity, the timing of the action in itself calls for scrutiny.

We are in November, 2025.

It’s been reported that the National Assembly is contemplating the amendments of the Electoral Act to allow the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to conduct the 2027 general election in 2026.

Taa ni o mo ogbo ka fi eran si enu, ka waa ti? ( Everyone knows the secret of how a piece of meat disappears from the mouth).

Governor Makinde knows that as things stand today, he would dare not enter into some parts of the state to campaign because of the lack of projects by his Government.

What would he be telling them?

That he has linked all the zones of Oyo state by constructing some roads?

Or, would he be telling them that he spent over 32b Naira to install a few poles of streetlights that are no longer functioning?

Would he be proud to say that he built some Bus terminals with over 6b Naira each when infrastructures in our public primary and secondary schools have totally collapsed?

The other time, he told our people in Eruwa that if he doesn’t finish the Ido/Eruwa road within 11 months, they shouldn’t allow him to enter the town again.

Like I said, only the gullible ones would clap for Governor Makinde regarding the Greek gifts called approval of funds for projects.

When you see the cat performing an ablution, its target is the pot of meat. ( Sise aluwaala ologbo, ogbon ati ko eran je ni).

Whatever he decides to do now, even if he would construct the listed roads and cover them in gold, it is belated.

The intention behind the action is not genuine.

Governor Makinde is serving out his 7th year out of eight.

For the past six years plus, he has been collecting monthly allocations on behalf of the state, not only that, he has been boasting that the Internally generated revenues of Oyo state has increased tremendously under his watch.

He has been collecting monthly allocations for the 33 Local Governments of Oyo state for almost six and a half years now and he has borrowed about a trillion Naira.

Since Tinubu became president, Oyo state and the 33 Local Governments have been receiving tripled monthly allocations.

Both the state and the 33 Local Governments have also been receiving VAT.

Under his watch, quite a great number of Oyo state Assets have been sold.

So, why is it that these projects have to be delayed till now?

Why is it that for over a year now, he has concentrated efforts on and committed resources to his personal ambitions of taking control of the PDP and his rumoured presidential ambition, neglecting his primary duties of providing adequate welfare for the people he was elected to govern?

Is he just remembering that those projects requires funding?

In Eruwa, he awarded contracts for the rehabilitation of some roads since about five years and the projects were immediately abandoned.

Now, Governor Makinde suddenly remembers that those projects needs to be done when the 2027 general election is at the door?

The gullible ones may continue to clap for him.

I am not an idiot and I can’t be deceived.

The fundamental questions are still there unanswered and they won’t go away until Governor Makinde responds to them.

I noticed that the Governor didn’t approve funds for the purchase of refuse trucks, Graders and Tractors for the 33 Local Governments.

After all, if the deity would not improve one’s lots, it should at least leave one alone as it met him. ( Oosa boo le gbe mi, se mi bo se ba mi).

It is under Governor Seyi Makinde’s watch that the refuse trucks, Graders and Tractors purchased by his predecessors were sold.

I didn’t also see any approval for the refurbishing of Local Government Secretariat.

Or, does Governor Makinde want the Local Government Chairmen to be going cap in hand like the gentleman at Oyo before they could at least make their offices look attractive?

Yes, they would be idle inside those offices but all the same, shouldn’t they be entitled to some luxury?

I pray and hope that the approvals for funds are genuine this time around.

I remember Governor Makinde saying sometimes this year that while he promised that the Ido/Eruwa road would be completed by December of 2023 during the flagg off at New Eruwa, he actually awarded just 6 out of the 48klm stretch of the road at the time!

Isn’t that laughable?

If he did it in Eruwa, he could do it anywhere.

We will watch and monitor those projects, while hoping that they won’t go the way of the Ido-Eruwa road project.

However, like I said, this manipulative move is dead on arrival and only the gullible ones will not see through the tricks.

By the way, we are waiting for the outcome of the November Convention of the S-PDP(Seyi-PDP) in Ibadan here.

We are also monitoring if Governor Makinde will eventually join the ADC as it’s been rumoured.

If he does join the ADC, I pity them in advance.

May the undertaker not come to our midsts.

Sola Abegunde.