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Oyo PDP, APC bicker over Makinde’s 100 days in office

By Rotimi Agboluaje, Ibadan
10 September 2019   |   4:20 am
In Nigeria, the symbolic 100 days is usually marked with funfair by heads of the executive arm of government such as governors and the president. Typically, the executive uses the occasion to reel out achievements made within the short period.

Seyi Makinde

In Nigeria, the symbolic 100 days is usually marked with funfair by heads of the executive arm of government such as governors and the president. Typically, the executive uses the occasion to reel out achievements made within the short period.

In Oyo State, when Governor Seyi Makinde became the eighth executive governor, he made a slew of promises on what the electorate should expect from him in 100 days. During his inauguration on May 29 and at many fora, Makinde did not mince words on his mission to redefine governance and make lives more meaningful for the citizenry. He promised to deliver on some of those promises before he hit 100 days in office.

Hence, his attainment of 100 days in office was an opportunity for him to inaugurate some projects and address the people of the ‘Pacesetter State.’ Roads, silos, distribution of text and exercise books to students of public primary and secondary schools, a two-hour live broadcast and others are some of the highlights of the celebration.

Retrospectively, towards the twilight of the administration of former Governor Abiola Ajimobi after the defeat of All Progressives Congress (APC) at the gubernatorial election and Oyo South Senatorial District, the former governor had said the incoming PDP government would be held accountable on some of the things it pledged to achieve. Ajimobi had said those things PDP promised, APC would ask questions regarding them.

And true to Ajimobi’s statement, APC has been playing the opposition role expected of it. The 100 days’ celebration of Makinde in office was another opportunity for APC to take the governor to task.

In a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Dr. AbdulAzeez Olatunde, APC said: “There is no award for anyone to guess which state in Nigeria is being governed by an accidentally unprepared governor, because anyone who guesses would certainly guess right as Oyo State.

“Imagine Oyo State governor who, within himself, knows that he has added nothing to what he met on ground, in the last 100 days, to still be bold enough to come to the public with blatant falsehood and lies that only 10 per cent of contract sum is actually used to service contracts by his predecessor and the remaining 90 per cent goes back to the awarder of the contracts.

“Thank God, Governor Seyi Makinde, you have set up Oyo State Anti-Graft Agency and you are now in power. Please, you are challenged to do the needful as we are giving it to you that, this is white lies which are not tenable anywhere in the world.“We are not surprised to hear that from you because you have penchant for contradicting yourself.

“Three of such cases are ample evidence to your oscillating words. During your campaign, you said that Oyo State’s workers deserve more than N30,000 minimum wage, which you have refused to pay and even refused to revisit with your 100 days in office. Your promise to make LAUTECH, solely owned by Oyo State institution within your first 100 days has fallen flat like your other promises. Imagine the blatant 360 turnaround to your promise of reduction of tuition fees, pleading with Ibadan Polytechnic’s student that reduction is not feasible for now.

“What has Governor Seyi Makinde done to justify his governance in 100 days? Perhaps, Governor Seyi Makinde may want to commission the Model Schools built and completed by Sen. Abiola Ajimobi which Ajimobi’s loaded schedule denied him of commissioning.

“Permit me to remind His Excellency, Engr. Makinde that Oyo State’s people were promised that their maize would be exported to Botswana, and thank God, this is the season of maize. We deserve to know how many tons of maize has been exported? And how has this been impacting on the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)?”

Expectedly, PDP fired back, accusing the state’s chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) of being desperate to blackmail the laudable achievements of the state governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde and the ruling party in the state.The PDP, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Akeem Olatunji, accused APC of sponsoring all manners of falsehood against PDP and the Makinde government aimed at belittling the successful clearing of the rot left behind by APC in Oyo State and the positive turnaround the state has begun to experience since Makinde assumed office.

According to Olatunji, “We are greatly appalled at the desperation of APC to publicise all manners of lies and falsehood against our government. There is a permissible level of decency in politics and we expect everyone to follow that cause.“Rather than wish our state well after the eight years of disastrous rule and bad governance APC foisted on Oyo State, that party is standing alone as a rotten apple in the basket, seeking to negatively affect others.

“Let us assure the lie merchants in APC that our party, PDP, stands firm with Governor Seyi Makinde, and the laudable achievements he has recorded in 100 days. No member of PDP is angry with the governor and no one is expressing any such frustration as contained in the lies being marketed by APC.”

The statement indicated that PDP is solidly behind Makinde, as he continues laying the foundation for the accelerated development of the state. The PDP’s Publicity Secretary added that PDP is more than ever before united as a family, saying: “We are impressed at the globally acclaimed good works of our governor. No one abandons a good product, not even the blind.

“Let us place on record that purveyors of such stories are either deluded, suffering from acute amnesia, or just trying to make a nuisance of themselves. It is not only unfounded, frivolous and malicious but also a great lie that stands no reason. Governor Makinde is no longer about Oyo State; he is already a nationally acclaimed deliverer of good dividends of democracy and good governance.

“We as a party are more than ever before proud of our God-sent ‘Mr. Talk and Do Governor,’ who works more and talks less, and this willpower of Governor Makinde has rekindled our hope and faith in the actualisation of the Oyo project embarked upon by our governor.

“We are 100 per cent satisfied with his every move and decision, because he treats every member of PDP as members of the family. We therefore enjoin all members of the public to disregard in totality the distractive publications, falsehood and unbridled lies being peddled against the service-delivering governor.”

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