I have read so much about the outcries, outbursts, comments and reactions that greeted the decision of the Oyo State government (not GSM) to reconstruct the Oke-Eebo, Agodi Government House for a yet-to-be-officially confirmed sum of N63 billion(?)
I have been in government before and I know how government’s contracts are awarded.
Therefore, since I am yet to see the Bill of Quantity of the said contract, the nature and extent of the work to be done, the bidding processes and the extract of the Executive Council of Oyo State’s approval, I won’t be in a position to make any informed comment on the proprietary or otherwise of the contract. I won’t, therefore, join the fray of those who have rushed to the media (both traditional and social) to condemn the contract, because doing so at this stage and age of my life may expose and portray me as unfit for the exalted posts that I have held in Oyo State before.
Firstly, I was Special Assistant Legal to Senator (Oba) Rasidi Ladoja (January 2007 to 29th May, 2011), Senior Special Assistant Legal to Senator Abiola Ajimobi (June 2011 to August, 2011) and ultimately as the Hon. Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Oyo State between August 2011 to 28th May 2015.
I am not unmindful of the fact that we are entering a political season and all hands of politicians would now be on deck to rubbish anybody (incumbent) in power or office for any reason(s) whatsoever, be it justifiable or not or even for thrash and very ridiculous ones.
The target is to demonise the incumbent ahead of the forthcoming 2027 election to make him or his candidate unpopular so that a new party (opposition party) can come on board in 2027.
Karma has a way of forcing itself on us, just like water or river course will always find its way and level, no matter how human beings may try to re-channel it.
Our Governor, Engr. Seyi Abiodun Makinde, FNSE, this is your own season of karma. Same was done by you or on your behalf to demonise Senator Abiola Ajimobi. Is it not interesting that some of the same set of people who did it for you against Senator Abiola Ajimobi are now conspiring together to do same against you too?
That is the law of life – what goes around must surely come around. Was Senator Abiola Ajimobi’s senatorial ambition not sacrificed for a non-performing and very ineffectual candidate in 2019? Was Oyo South Senatorial District, in particular, and Oyo State in general not worse off for it? The rest is now history and I am sure that Senator Abiola Ajimobi is laughing heartily in aljannah fridaus now.
All the above notwithstanding, I will not join the bandwagon effect to condemn a contract which I don’t have any details of at all. When I see the details of the contract and if I consider it as justifiable and reasonable, I will hail and commend Your Excellency as I have done severally in the past over some wonderful projects you have done in Oyo State. I am one of those who never gave you a chance at all that you could do well as the governor of Oyo State, but truth be told and it is even a matter of conscience that you didn’t only surprise me, but you have done exceptionally and excellent well
Sir. I give kudos to Your Excellency and I would score and rate you an A+.
Your Excellency, there is one area which most people may not take notice or not be aware of and I will say it openly here.
Before you came on board as the governor of this state on the 29th May, 2019, most of us had our incomes being depleted continuously and continually by army of our dependents unemployed brothers, sisters and relations who were always sending their banking account details to us for some financial assistance.
Your Excellency, to the glory of God and to your eternal credit, you have employed most of them into primary schools (SUBEB), secondary schools (TESCOM), Hospital Management Board, mainstream civil service and all other government agencies and, thus, relieving us of those burdens.
In actual fact, some of those erstwhile unemployed youths are now even sending stipends to some of us now since they are now also gainfully employed, courtesy of your visionary leadership.
Your Excellency, prior to the 2019 general elections, my principal, my hero, my mentor, my role model, my benefactor and my governor for life, Senator Abiola Adeyemi Akanji Ajimobi, the Koseleri 1 of Oyo State and the father of the modern Oyo State who was your pathfinder, invited me to the Government House and that was shortly after we lawfully and rightfully demolished in part the Music House of Dr. Yinka Ayefele, MON.
On getting to the Government House, I was very surprised at the great turnaround of the building so much that I asked oga how and when he did that magic.
He conducted me round the entire premises and all the rooms; it was an architectural masterpiece. He told me that he wanted to demolish the whole building but that the cost submitted by the contractors – architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, etc., which included but not limited to Reyog, Bello & Bello etc., who are surely of the very bests in Nigeria, were at that time too high for the resources of Oyo State to meet; that he, therefore, pleaded with Architect Abass to assist the state in renovating and rehabilitating the building and that the latter gladly obliged him and the result of that efforts was the masterpiece we were inspecting then.
Senator Ajimobi was very urbane, suave, had great exposure and top notch taste in all ramifications. He was an ‘afinju eeyan.’ He lived in that rehabilitated Government House till the end of his tenure on the 28th May, 2019.
After that my visit that day, I wrote about my experience on Facebook and social media that Senator Ajimobi had replicated the USA White House at the Government of Oyo State at Oke-Eebo, Agodi, Ibadan, Oyo State of Nigeria.
Your Excellency, I will search for that piece and repost it to serve as a guide to you in your eventual decision on the proposed Government House Contract.
But as I said earlier, it would be preposterous for me or anybody to comment or condemn a project of which I am yet to see its details, extent and effects as that would not only be too petty, childish and very premature.
I wish Your Excellency the very best wishes always .
Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo, SAN, is Asiwaju of Ita-Ege & Idi-Aro, Ibadan South-East Local Government Area of Oyol State.
