Makinde’s six controversial actions

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has hit the ground running, following his swearing-in on May 29. Southwest Bureau Chief Bisi oladele examines the steps taken by the governor which have stirred controversy.

We looks quiet. Talking is not known to be a part of Seyi Makinde’s nature. He had been known for acting more than talking. He is not an activist. Soft-spoken, unassuming and free with all, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde enjoyss a lot of goodwill. Makinde has courted many controversies within and outside the state for his actions and utterances, majority of which his followers and admirers, however, consider positive.

Two hours after he was sworn in as governor on May 29, directed his newly appointed Chief of Staff (CoS) Chief Bisi Ilaka, to announce the sack of 33 elected local government councils. The action jolted the affected officials and the All Progressives Congress (APC), which produced them on May 12, last year. In a swift reaction, the officials, under the aegis of the Oyo State branch of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), rejected the sack, describing it as a violation of a high court judgment given on May 6. The APC also faulted the action. But, Makinde insisted that their election was improper in the first place.

To drive home its position, ALGON wrote to banks and heads of local governments against processing payments by the councils without obtaining clearance from them, warning that it would amount to contempt of court. That did not change anything.

Consequently, the association sued Makinde for allegedly violating the May 6 judgment.

While the contempt case was to be heard, the state government filed an appeal against the judgment. Both cases are being heard.

While fielding questions from reporters on the occasion of his first month in office, Makinde, in a live television programme, stated that his administration inherited a N150b debt profile. He pointed out that some of the debts were not well utilised for the benefit of the people. The governor added that his administration was still working harder to identify other debts to determine the actual debt profile. The governor’s revelation conveyed the idea that his immediate predecessor was wasteful and possibly corrupt. In fact, he threatened to expose former Governor Abiola Ajimobi, if he did not stay clear of his administration. Makinde said if he did, Ajimobi would be stoned by the people of Oyo State.

But, the APC dared him to make good his threat. The party accused him of chasing shadows instead of concentrating on the serious work of governance for which he has been voted.

Ajimobi’s aides have denied Makinde’s claims on the debt profile. They gave details of the actual debts as N90 billion. Yet, Makinde’s administration just got the House of Assembly’s nod to borrow N10 billion from three banks – less than two months into his four-year tenure. The aides also advised him to beware of overzealous supporters who may mislead him in their ambition to discredit Ajimobi at all costs.

Read Also: Oyo APC tackles Makinde over N10 billion infrastructure loan

During in the media interaction, Makinde also restated that some of Ajimobi’s aides went away with government vehicles, instead of handing them over after serving the state. He promised to recover the vehicles because they belong to the state, not individuals.

But the APC dared him to name those who stole government vehicles. They also accused him of displaying crass inexperience in public service, stressing that he should take his time to understand how things work.

A fortnight  ago, the state government dissolved the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC). In dissolving the commission’s board, the governor assured members of the board that the government would pay their salaries for the remaining years in office since their tenure is statutory.

Makinde’s action also stirred a controversy over the propriety of his choice to pay off those still serving while complaining that the state was in deep debt. The APC wondered how a sitting governor could make such public pronouncement which it regarded as insensitive and demeaning to those he sacked. The party argued that the  governor has shown that he perceived service as a ‘come and eat’ call, rather than a genuine interest in adding value to the state.

Perhaps, the most controversial actions is his asset declaration which he made public last week. With his companies worth N48 billion and other highly priced properties and cash, Makinde caused a storm on Twitter and other social media. He was later adjudged the richest governor in Africa, going by his  assets. The huge controversy was on whether the governor is truly worth the humongous amount or that he quoted the figures in anticipation of what his worth will be after spending four years in office. The controversy was so hot that the Director of the Code of Conduct Bureau in Oyo State, Mr Moses Atolagbe, had to make a public statement that the bureau was waiting for directive from the agency’s head office to verify Makinde’s claims.

Some people believe that Makinde became controversial due to the excitement of acquiring power. The power of a governor is massive in Nigeria. Hence, some believe that the excitement of attaining the plum position after three failed attempts was strong enough to make him take some actions that will be controversial.

But, the APC said that Makinde and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wanted to drag Ajimobi’s name in the mud due to the former governor’s landmark achievements in his eight-year tenure. The party in a statement by its Publicity Secretary Azeez Olatunde, said Makinde’s efforts to discredit Ajimobi and his administration would fail because the former governor succeeded in etching his name in gold while he held the ace. It advised him to drop the ambition to taint the APC and concentrate on how he can build on the foundation laid by Ajimobi.

Makinde could also be courting controversy by the reason of his zeal to serve with absolute credibility. Judging by some of his actions, the new governor is demonstrating sincerity of purpose. For instance, he has sent a bill to the House of Assembly to establish an anti-corruption agency. He also cancelled the N1,000 per term fees paid by public secondary schools pupils because some parents could not afford it. He argued that education should be totally free. But the APC said it will watch how the cancellation will not affect the efforts at rebuilding the schools. The fee was being administered by the governing Board of each school, which is made up of the principal, representatives of students, parents, the community and old students association.

Another factor that may have thrown Makinde into regular controversy is inexperience in public sector. The governor was a player in the private sector before becoming governor. The APC believes that his inexperience is a major source of his controversial decisions. They believe that he will court less controversies after spending six months in office as he would have become more familiar with the governance system.

Though Makinde had been known in Oyo State as a wealthy man, his public asset declaration revealed his hitherto hidden wealth thereby causing a controversy. Before he became governor, hardly could anyone argue that the oil magnate is that rich. The public declaration of the assets left many in shock, thereby triggering controversial comments.

As he steers the ship of Oyo State, it is expected that the governor’s true person will be fully established as he manages people and other resources for the next four years.