The recent media spotlight on six years of Governor Abiola Ajimobi in all available media have demonstrated once again the believe of this government on sheer propaganda to hoodwink electorate especially the article titled: Six years of Building Enduring Legacy and published by Punch Newspaper of July 2 is the worst tissues of lies expected from APC government in Oyo state.
This is not about politics as some people might like to point out and more importantly people of this state are no longer new to usual antics and propaganda of All Progressives Congress led government at both federal and state levels. However, this write-up is set out to put the record straight and set our people free ( The truth shall set you free, So says the holy bible).
From the first to the last paragraph of the article, it’s lies from pit of hell. Governor Ajimobi led government claimed that in the last six years they have constructed or rehabilitated 183 roads covering 590 kilometres. That must have been phantom road projects or for God sake where are those roads located. This government will do itself more good if they can publish the list of those road locations, no need to publish picture, a full page advert stating the location of those roads in one of the national dailies will prove me wrong. Maybe these roads still exist on their manifesto not in our various environs. It is still fresh in our memory, how in 2008 and 2009, Oyo chapter of ALGON under the chairmanship of Hon Ademola Ojo; each local government rehabilitated 5 roads in their locality and these we all saw. How can a government claimed to have done over 180 roads and we can not identify 20 locations of such rehabilitated roads.
In another instance, the APC-led government claimed that Oyo state is number five in the list of investor-riendly state by National Bureau Of Statistics which was actually true because the news was published by highly respected Punch newspaper but it was rather misleading for unsuspecting members of the public that the state had received $61m dollars in Foreign Direct Investment whereas the National Bureau of statistic revealed unequivocally in the same news story where Oyo State was declared fifth investor-friendly state in Nigeria that out of almost one billion dollars FDI that were brought into Nigeria, Oyo State had a patry $500,000 investment, the lowest among the top five investor friendly states in Nigeria.
There were also issues of inconsistency in the number of investments and investors that have started operations in Oyo state. APC government in Oyo State often claim that 36 new companies with 4000 direct employees are already operational in the state while government spokesmen in public outings and publications narrated how 7 out of 157 companies who had agreed to come to invest in Oyo state are here already. Mr Governor, which one are will going to believe?
We wonder what will be going through the minds of an average Ibarapa men and women when the ruling government claimed that they have extended the road revolution to Ibarapa at the time journey to that zone of the state from the state capital, Ibadan has become a nightmare everyone dreads to experience. This is occasioned by terrible and un-motarable road which has increased the journey of less than 40 minutes to over two hours.
The worst of all these lies was the issue that bothers on life and property. Despite the fact that World Bank provides the state with multi-million naira intervention fund on urban flood management, it is, however, disheartening that flood continues to wreck havoc of unimaginable proportion in the state particularly the state capital, Ibadan. The APC government in the state has witnessed more flood incidents in the state more than any governments in the history of the state. Just three months into the first term of Ajimobi led government, Oyo state witnessed flood that made the popular Omiyale a child’s play and just few weeks ago, we witnessed another flooding which has made it an annual incident where flood ravage the state. This put the blame squarely on the table of government, if for six years you could not tackle perennial flooding in the state we wonder how you will do that in less than two years to expiration of your tenure.
No doubt, it will be difficult for the APC government to stop peddling lies and deception but we as opposition hold it as a duty to inform general public the true situation of governance in Oyo State so that together will can truly move the state forward.
Retrospectively, it would serve us good to have a holistic view at the six years of this government as an opposition and leave the good people of this state to form their opinion about the six years of misrule of APC in Oyo State with facts but not fiction.
Every PPP project promised by Ajimobi has failed e.g. 4 – star hotel at Mokola, even the TechU. The flurry of activities witnessed there recently was to justify a N2b intervention fund granted by CBN about 2 years ago which the government did nothing about until recently.
Most capital projects are uncompleted or abandoned. E.g. Model Secondary Schools started with an 18-month completion period which has stretched to almost two years without any sign of completion soon. The claim of government to complete the road revolution project will not happen in 18 months; even the circular road. Experience has shown in cities with circular road e.g. Houston Texas , United States, that circular road are meant to impact the local economy positively by connecting a number of metropolis., So the circular road that will have effect should connect major cities in Oyo State like Ibadan, Ogbomosho, Oyo, Iseyin, Shaki, Ibarapa zine and back to Ibadan so that people coming from those part of this state and going outside Ibadan would not have reasons to pass through Ibadan.
For the sum the government mooted (N70b), it can do a lot more than that. The last 6 years have been 6 years of hell for workers and pensioners who are being owed between 4 months (state civil servants and teachers) and 12 months salary (for College of Education staff and Polytechnic staff).
Education is at its worst ever. Dilapidated schools , unmotivated teachers, poor performance (we are number 26 out of 36 in the last WAEC), frequent closure of schools in both secondary and tertiary institution. As we speak, all state-owned higher institutions are under lock and key!
So the last 6 years have been mystery for the people.
Our people are engaged in commerce. They are ardent shop owners. But the last 6 years have seen Ajimobi demolishing shops indiscriminately in the name of a nebulous city beautification without providing alternatives . This has shattered hopes, dislocated homes, caused serious health issues for those traumatised this way and some have even died. We have conviction that the good people of oyo state are wiser now and will definitely give people with fresh ideas and we are better equipped to usher the change they desire in Oyo State in 2019.
Omititun a RU ni’pinle Oyo
Akeem Azeez
Publicity Secretary, Social Democratic Party Oyo State.
