BY: ADEMOLA ORUNBON
Nigeria is a country full of amazing ideas, reactions and unreasonable actions, that is more reasons those in power of authority today should always be wary of those surrounding him or her, because whenever his/her tenure and his authority lapsed, they are the ones that will be mocking him/her, else, what can we call the actions of the Ogun State House of Assembly members of reversing the appointment of ASCON employees into Civil service, financial agreements, coronet Obas and suspension of Local Government and LCDAs Chairmen by immediate past administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun two days after leaving office.
What really baffled me and the reason for this article has nothing to do to tarnish the image of the former governor or the eighth Ogun State House of Assembly, neither the termination of those appointees or otherwise but to ask where, when, who, how and why?. In whose interest? And who are the law makers protecting or are they protecting the interest of the state as a whole? We need to ask ourselves. My reason for this, is the hope dashing of those ASCON employees, who passed through many rigorous stress, purchased form. Now they will be back in labour market and constitute more nuisance to the society at large through non-challant attitude of our House of Assembly members.
Those Assembly members were on ground, not on recess when Senator Ibikunle Amosun were dashing out aforementioned agonising appointments and promoting Baales into coronet Obas are taken place without any condemnation, two days after the expiration of Amosun's tenure, the Assembly members therafter swung into actions, condemning the Former governor's appointment and employment exercise. Though, it is crystal clear that those appointment and employment was uncategorized and uncalled for, but the House of Assembly members sat on the fence as if it was not their satutatory responsibility to condemn it in concrete term, now when it becomes issues for the new government that it has added more to the State wage bill, the reversal of those appointment and employment cause anguish, pains and bring sorrows and tears to those beneficiaries.
Those Assembly members were indeed, sorrogate of the former governor, they wine and dine together otherwise, why the Speaker, Suraj Ishola Adekumbi who was with the governor for good eight years, benefited maximally from the Senator, Ibikunle Amosun-led administration, now presiding over the appointment and employment of former administration, this is totally wrong, biased and very funny, that is why the present governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun should be very cautious and be wary of those who associate with among the failed Assembly members and Assembly members-elect in the state, now they will be romancing you for your favour too, but when your tenure is about to end, they will also change that pattern of their drum beat.
Loyalty is very essential in governance and those who are not loyal to any government does not worth to associate with.. Or let me ask this question! Is it possible to be loyal to two parties/factions at the same time? Though, I really need answer to this question from the people who wanted to serve two administrations at the same time. Why now that Ogun State House of Assembly Speaker, Suraj Ishola Adekumbi picked holes in the former administration of Amosun, after spending eight good years with him as a Speaker. Maybe, he has forgotten that he is the longest serving House of Assembly Speaker in the history of Ogun state, not serving alone but benefited maximally and from the Amosun's administration.
If I were the Speaker, Suraj Adekumbi, I will continue thanking Amosun for the benefit and opportunity given to me for good eight years as a speaker of the state. What else do you want? Why romancing present government you hated with passion? Why begging Former Governor Olusegun Osoba? Is it for political relevance or juicy appointment? Those who served in the past administrations since 1999 were not having such opportunity being given to you by Amosun, now Amosun has finished his tenure, you now turned your back on him and the appointment, employment you deeply know about, afterall, your people were given slots to fill, why now crucifying Amosun? The fact remain that the present administration should be wary of those hailing and shouting hosanna, in the next four years or thereabout, they will be among those who will be calling for its crucifixion.
Let me now give a resounding congratulations to you sir, Mr. Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, the fifth Executive Governor of the state, I pray that as God has crowned you to be the Governor, you will succeed not minding that an unbeatable political Maradona who has undoubtedly set series of traps for you at all levels of government and beyond. In fact, not many were aware of your tortuous journey to power since 1993 that you have been contesting for elections and may not appreciate what you have passed through, indeed I could remember vividly when you won Senatorial seat of Ogun East, under the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP), that was in 1998, but many people have forgotten, thinking that you were a newcomer in the political scene of the state, so, we need to remind them that it has been a long time, as the Yoruba says; "Ojo ti'npa Igun bo Ojo ti'pe," meaning, it has been long that vulture has been under the rain.
Without mincing words or sounding immodest, you are inheriting a state with shambles economy, except the infrastructure and face lift being given to the State from the administration of 'tall cap's man' but I strongly believe that the good people of Ogun state were anxious of actions and inactions that will ameliorate their suffering and smiling which make Amosun's eight years of administration like hell and a century in penury and hopelessness. Or how better can we called just immediate administration of Amosun, who could not pay May salaries of workers before leaving but given/paid severance allowance to all political appointees that served him for second term, a government that could not pay leave bonuses to its workers for good five years, a government that owed its workers several unremitted pension, owed gratuity of retirees and many more. A government without human face, that owed educational institutions several subventions, which made some higher institutions in the state go on industrial action.
Mr Governor sir, those employment and political monarch appointed like government functionaries in the wee hour of Amosun's administration should be reviewed, because we can not throw away birth water with the baby, though the process may be improper, immoral, incorrect. But, Sir, some of them deserve it genuinely, while many others don't. How does one describe the emergence of an Oba who came to buy land in a settlement in years backs which has no lineage of indigenous instead of Oba, just because he worked for Allied Peoples' Movement (APM) and was made Oba of the town. This has to be looked into for the progress and development of the state. It was this reason the former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy, Chief Jide Ojuko resigned, in order to have a place or home to retire into after serving the former governor but the matter was later settled amicably among the duo then.
Lastly, the workers welfare. Ogun State workers was always rated among the best workers in the country but now the reverse is the case, they have been marginalised by the Amosun's administration for just no reason, they are the ones who lay the golden eggs for any government, they sacrifice their time, children, home to please any government, still they have been marginalised, sir, they should not be starved financially, morally the way Amosun did to them, because he turned thousands of them to beggars by denying them a large portion of their earnings which made most of them to die untimely and withdrawn from schools, he made life so miserable for them. In fact, their spirit must have contributed to the loss of Amosun's godson, Hon. AbdulKabir Adekunle Akinlade (Triple A), and really paved way for your innocent soul Sir. So, you need to handle the workers welfare painstakingly and let it be your priority, because they are the engine room of any government. Let their salaries be paid as an when due, their deductions, leave bonuses, pensions and many others entitlement should be remitted as early as possible, by so doing this if you intend to go for third or fourth time, they will not hesitate to stand by you.
Long live Nigeria
Long live Ogun state
Omo Ogun, Ise Ya!!!
Orunbon, a political analyst, wrote in Abeokuta, Ogun state.
Can be reached via: orunbonibrahimademola@gmail.com or 08034493944, 08029301122.
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